After making the rounds at the Juno Awards ceremony in Hamilton, Ont., last night, Prime Minister Mark Carney heads to Toronto, where he’s booked in for a mid-morning tête-à-tête with Ontario Premier Doug Ford before unveiling what his office describes as “new measures to accelerate homebuilding.” (11 a.m.)

Although the advisory offers no additional information on the announcement, it comes just days after the Toronto Star reported that Ford and Carney would be “extending the 13 per cent harmonized sales tax break on new houses and condos to everyone, not just first-time home buyers” in a bid to “jolt the housing construction market and boost affordability for families,” the paper notes.

“The hope is that the move will mean 8,000 additional housing starts, the creation of 21,000 construction jobs, generating $2.7 billion in economic growth.”

Later tonight, Carney will headline a $1,175-per-ticket fundraiser at the Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham, Ont. that, as flagged in What We’re Watching, may well wind up attracting significantly more media attention than expected due to one of the three co-hosts listed on the online invitation: namely, Michael Ma, whose name appears alongside those of fellow Greater Toronto Area Liberal MPs Tim Hodgson and Gary Anandasangaree. (5:30 p.m.)

After scoring a narrow victory in Markham — Unionville under the Conservative banner, Ma abruptly abandoned the party to join the Liberal caucus just before the precinct shut down for the holidays in December, and has now found himself back in the headlines in the wake of a highly-charged — and potentially politically problematic — exchange at an committee meeting last week, during which he seemed to downplay concerns over China’s alleged use of forced labour.

As Canadian Press notes, while Ma ultimately apologized for his remarks, “calls are growing among Conservatives for Carney to address Ma’s comments and clarify where the federal government stands on the issue of forced labour as Canada builds a stronger trade relationship with China.”

During a back-and-forth with reporters last week, Hodgson “said Canada was in the process of recalibrating its relationship with China,” the wire service notes.

“While he acknowledged the two countries have had differences, he said those disagreements — and the bilateral conversations about them — don’t need to be made public.”

Back in Ottawa, Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc, who also serves as cabinet lead on One Canadian Economy, will hold a post-meeting media availability following his high-level closed-door huddle with other members of the Committee on Internal Trade, which includes a full lineup of provincial and territorial ministers responsible for finance, economic development and business, as well as Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Tony Wakeham and his Nova Scotia counterpart Tim Houston. (4 p.m.)

Also on the radar: Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty will hold an on-camera briefing to deliver what the advisory is billing as an “important update on the long-term reform of First Nations Child and Family Services.” (2 p.m.)

Elsewhere on the ministerial circuit:

• Government Transformation Minister Joël Lightbound and Industry Minister Mélanie Joly make a mid-morning visit to Mirabel, Que., to share the details of the latest contracts awarded under the newly-created Defence Investment Agency “in support of Canadian Armed Forces operations,” as per the advisory. (10 a.m.)
• This afternoon, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne will join Quebec public security minister Ian Lafrenière, Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada and Montreal police chief Fady Dagher, as well as Montreal-area Liberal MP Rachel Bendayan, who also serves as parliamentary secretary to the prime minister, to “highlight” his government’s plan to “combat economic crime activities that harm Canadian individuals, businesses and communities,” which, as per the notice, will “address growing extortion concerns” and include an “update on developing the National Anti-Fraud Strategy.” (1:30 p.m.)
• Moving west, Emergency Management Minister Eleanor Olszewski will drop by Edmonton City Hall to share the details of a fresh tranche of federal support under the Crime Prevention Action Fund, which “provides time-limited grant and contribution funding that supports evidence-based crime prevention initiatives in communities that address known risk and protective factors associated with crime among vulnerable groups of the population, especially children and youth from 6-24 years, and chronic offenders.”  (10:45 a.m. MDT)

Rounding out the roster, freshly installed New Democrat leader Avi Lewis holds a morning media availability in Winnipeg, where, as per the party-issued advisory, he “will speak to the historic mandate he received from members” during a joint appearance alongside now former party interim leader Don Davies and Winnipeg-area MP Leah Gazan. (9:30 a.m. CT)

ON AND AROUND THE HILL

Superintendent of Financial Institutions Peter Routledge will offer his perspective on bank regulation and the “path forward” during a “virtual fireside chat” hosted by the Bank of America. (10 a.m.)

IN THE CHAMBER

Regular parliamentary proceedings will resume on Apr. 13, 2026.

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Committee highlights courtesy of our friends at iPoliticsINTEL.