Dear Friends,
I am pleased to share an update on our recent work in Parliament, major national initiatives, and important community milestones across our riding. Since my last update, Albertans voted overwhelmingly to remain in Canada. This was a really important vote and I was very pleased with the results.
International Bilateral Mission & Local Community Milestones
Bilateral Mission to Chile: I recently returned from a bilateral mission to Chile on parliamentary business, where our bipartisan delegation held productive meetings at the Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, met with members of the Chilean Congress, engaged with the Chilean Navy, and learned about logistics at the Port of Valparaiso. We then joined legislators from across South and Central America and the Caribbean at a public safety summit which took place at the Chilean Congress. Canada is the largest foreign investor in Chile, and next year will be the 30th anniversary of the Canada/Chile Free Trade Agreement. We have enormous opportunity to expand Chilean investment in Canada and trade with Chile. We also met again with Mexican legislators who we met with in March and who are visiting Ottawa on Thursday to progress our discussions. Legislators have an important role to play in working with our executive branch on trade discussions and our focus in the ParlAmericas group is to support our discussion with our partners across the Americas.
Côte Saint-Luc Public Library 60th Anniversary: Because I was away in Chile on parliamentary business, I was sorry to miss the 60th anniversary celebration of the Eleanor London Côte Saint-Luc Public Library. I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Library Director Janine West, her dedicated team, and our entire community on 60 wonderful years of serving as our “community living room”.
Honoring Boris Nemtsov: On October 16th, I was pleased to join Cote Saint Luc Mayor David Tordjman, Councillor Steven Erdelyi, human rights advocate Irwin Cotler, Russian opposition leader Vladimir Kara-Murza, students from Solomon Schechter Academy, and community leaders on Côte-Saint-Luc’s Human Rights Walkway to unveil a plaque honoring human rights hero Boris Nemtsov.
Upcoming Federal Budget 2026
Budget Date Announced: Our government will table Budget 2026 on November 5th. Budget 2026 will build on generational investments to grow the economy, protect communities, and expand productivity- including building on the Productivity Mega Deduction to help Canadian businesses invest, scale up, and create good jobs.
Continued Relief: It will also reinforce ongoing affordability measures, from the fuel tax pause to home retrofit rebates, keeping life manageable for Canadian families.
Catalyzing Innovation and Cutting Red Tape
Venture and Growth Capital Plan: To bolster Canada’s innovation ecosystem, we unveiled Canada’s new $1.75 billion Venture and Growth Capital Plan, anchored by the $1 billion Growth VCCI and a $750 million Early and Growth Stage Investment Strategy to catalyze private investment and scale homegrown companies.
Cabinet Directive on Red Tape Reduction: To streamline business processes across the country, we announced a new Cabinet Directive on Regulatory Competitiveness and Red Tape Reduction. This directive enforces a rule to reduce administrative burdens by $2 for every $1 added, mandates the default use of proven national and international standards, and requires regular assessments every 5 to 10 years to maintain Canada’s competitive edge.
Building a Skilled Workforce and Youth Opportunities
Sectoral Workforce Innovation Fund (SWIF): We announced up to $258.6 million over five years (with $50 million ongoing) through SWIF to address critical skilled labor shortages across key industries. This work complements Team Canada Strong, an $8 billion investment to recruit, train, and hire up to 100,000 Red Seal skilled trades workers by 2030–31.
Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) 2027: Applications for CSJ 2027 are now open for employers until December 3, 2026. Funding covers up to 100% of minimum wage for non-profit organizations and up to 50% for small public and private sector employers, with priority given to roles in construction, climate/environment, digital skills or AI, and underserved communities.
Mount Royal Youth Council: Join the Mount Royal Youth Council!
Are you between the ages of 16 and 25 and looking to make a difference in your community? The Mount Royal Youth Council offers young people the opportunity to work alongside MP Anthony Housefather’s office, develop leadership skills, connect with peers, and help shape the future of our community.
Visit anthonyhousefather.libparl.ca to sign up and learn more!
Historic First Nations Leadership Summit
First Meeting in Two Decades: For the first time in 20 years, Prime Minister Carney convened First Nations leadership and First Ministers in Ottawa. This was an important step forward in recognizing the importance of dialogue with our indigenous peoples and later this week the Prime Minister will be meeting our European partners in Montreal.
Sovereign Wealth Fund & Reconciliation: The leaders launched discussions on creating a new First Nations Sovereign Wealth Fund to ensure First Nations share directly in the economic benefits of major infrastructure projects, while directing ministers to work in partnership on reforming or abolishing the Indian Act.
Community Safety & Workforce Funding: The government announced $260 million for the Partnerships for Indigenous Workforce Readiness Fund, over $2.5 billion for emergency management, and more than $630 million to expand First Nations and Inuit policing agreements.
Delivering Affordability, Food Security, and Energy Relief
Easing Inflation: We remain focused on delivering targeted affordability relief to Canadian families. Excluding gasoline, inflation fell to 2.2% in September, while food inflation dropped to 1.7%- its lowest rate since May 2024.
Direct Budget Relief: Measures such as the enhanced Groceries and Essentials Benefit (delivering up to $1,900 for families of four), the extended fuel tax pause, income tax cuts for 22 million middle-class Canadians, and $10-a-day childcare are helping offset living costs.
Food Security Investments: Under Canada’s National Food Security Strategy, Food Banks Canada and Second Harvest will each receive up to $10 million through the Local Food Infrastructure Fund: Community Support Stream to distribute food to vulnerable Canadians nationwide.
National Heat Pump Rebate Update: For households planning heating upgrades, the retroactivity period for the new National Heat Pump Rebate begins on November 1, 2026. Eligible households installing an eligible heat pump on or after November 1 can receive between $2,000 and $10,000 (for low- to median-income households) when the application portal opens in early 2027, so please be sure to keep your receipts.
Thank you for your continued engagement as we work together to build a stronger community and country.
Best,
Anthony
