HOUSING, HEALTH CARE, AND RISING COSTS ON THE LIST OF ISSUES TO ADDRESS AS MPS HEAD BACK IN OTTAWA THIS FALL
The House sits while Canada still waits
Parliament returned on September 15, 2025, marked by the official House of Commons sitting calendar. MPs planned to cover topics Canadians worry about the most. Yet, as this first few months of the year unfold, many Canadians feel as if they have seen this before. A 2025 poll from Abacus Data, shows that Canadians see housing, healthcare, and rising costs – topics Parliament set to address this year – as bigger threats than external issues referring to Donald Trump’s policies often deemed as empty threats, such as the acquisition of Canada by the United States.
Housing – a promising topic
As a response to the widely recognized Canadian housing crisis, one of the government’s first decisions was to launch Build Canada Homes. Build Canada Homes was rolled out as Parliament came back, with $13 billion to deploy capital and a dedicated federal agency that promised to build affordable homes, led by Ana Bailão, its Chief Executive Officer.
Prime Minister Mark Carney announced four investments and initiatives allowing Build Canada Homes to begin with 4,000 factory-built homes on six federal sites with the idea to later extend to 45,000 units across Canada. Additionally, $1 billion will be dedicated specifically to support those at risk of homelessness.
The policy emphasizes using Canadian lumber and materials, and modern methods of construction. Build Canada Homes is still in its early days, and since its announcement, has only yielded initial project announcements. build across the country, including are under construction in Ottawa –, ON, adding totaling to the thousands of units planned across Canada.
Concerns about the project focus on the scale and amount of resources the project demands. This policy is important to key and eye on, and students searching for fair, inexpensive housing should keep an eye on this policy, particularly as we approach the upcoming federal budget on Nov. 4.
Our precious budget
The federal government will table the 2025 budget on November 4th, according to the Finance Minister, François-Philippe Champagne. Officials have emphasized their desire to exercise restraint with spending and prioritize beneficial investments, a budget of “austerity” says Prime Minister Mark Carney. If done correctly, the budget can provide immediate benefits for students by cutting down on spending, potentially allowing student-related policies to gain better funding, such as loans, grants, and student employment.
In addition to expressing their desire to lower spending, the Canadian government plans to reduce reliance on the United States; however, despite these intentions, the projected deficit for 2025 is still significantly higher than last year.
Why we need to exercise caution with the budget
The Bank of Canada lowered its policy rate to 2.5% on September 17th, citing rising job losses and rising household costs as direct reasons for this. Previous rate decisions by the Bank of Canada have served as calls for caution in government spending, as reckless spending could lead to neglecting important parts of our economy, ergo, lowering the rates even more.
The NDP leadership race
Following the 2025 federal election, the New Democratic Party (NDP) lost seventeen of their twenty-four seats and, as a result, lost official party status. On election night, previous leader Jagmeet Singh officially stepped down as leader, and interim leader Don Davis stepped into the role. On September 2, 2025, the NDP launched its leadership race to find a suitable replacement for Jagmeet Singh, and results are expected by March 29, 2026.
Candidates are set to participate in the first leadership debate on November 27, 2025, in Montreal, where they will primarily speak in French about their vision for Canada’s future and address national issues of their choosing. This debate will offer additional insight into the candidate’s strategies for the NDP following its substantial seat losses earlier this year.
