As far as an incoming federal government and parliament in Canada go, there is a long list of issues that require quick action.
Prime Minister Mark Carney and the 342 other incoming members of the House of Commons have several things they need to sort out over the coming weeks so the business of governing can proceed.
New MPs will soon be able to participate in a House of Commons orientation program to help settle into their roles.
Here’s what we can expect to see in the federal government throughout May and June:
Setting up the prime minister’s office
As candidates across Canada from all major political parties wind down their campaigns, Carney returned to his office in Ottawa the day after the election and worked on setting up his incoming government.
Carney, who handily won an expedited Liberal Party of Canada leadership race triggered by Justin Trudeau’s resignation in January, was only sworn in as prime minister nine days before he called a snap election at the end of March.
Marco Mendicino, a former Toronto MP and Trudeau-era cabinet minister, was tapped to serve as Carney’s chief of staff on an interim basis at least. Mendicino was heavily involved in transition meetings in the days before Carney took over the top job.
As of May 1, it wasn’t immediately clear if Mendicino would continue in that role or if Carney would pick a new chief of staff to lead the operations of the prime minister’s office (PMO).
Depending on how they want to structure the office, respond to the current minority government and have a team that’s loyal to Carney, there might be changes in the ranks of the PMO.
The PMO has staff that deal with policy, research, communications, correspondence, events, parliamentary affairs, intergovernmental relations, and making governmental appointments.
Picking a new cabinet
Carney’s first act as prime minister was to participate in the swearing-in of his cabinet. He cut the size of the cabinet to 24 from 37, largely appointing members who served in Trudeau’s cabinet with certain top portfolios changing hands.
At the time, Carney said the cabinet was focused on “meeting the moment” in dealing with U.S. President Donald Trump, his administration and tariffs. It also allowed Carney, who never held elected office, to surround himself with parliamentarians who had governing experience.
When the election was called nine days later, parliament was dissolved and MPs ceased their positions. However, under the law cabinet ministers continued to hold their jobs and will do so until new cabinet members are sworn in.
Now that Carney has returned to Ottawa with a slightly larger caucus (up to 168 as of May 1 from 153 when the 44th Parliament was dissolved), he may want to change his cabinet.
There was some early post-election speculation among pundits that Carney might want to expand the size of his cabinet to give certain new or returning MPs a higher profile. He might also want to shake up the current cabinet membership to break from the status quo.
Historically, cabinets have been a balancing act of ensuring there are ministers loyal to the prime minister while also working to ensure the body represents the demographics and geography of Canada.
Unlike the party under Trudeau before dissolution, there are now Liberal MPs in every province of Canada as well as two out of the three territories.
It wasn’t immediately clear when the new cabinet will be sworn in, but with parliament set to return on May 26 he’ll need to move quickly to decide on what he wants his cabinet to look like.
Who will lead the Conservatives, NDP in and out of parliament?
With Conservative Party of Canada Leader Pierre Poilievre losing his Carleton (Ontario) seat, he will not be allowed to sit in the House of Commons when parliament resumes even if he’s the party leader.
Under the federal law (the Parliament of Canada Act) and House of Commons procedures, the Leader of the Official Opposition (also referred to as “His Majesty’s Opposition”) must have a seat and represent a riding. The official opposition is the party with the second-highest number of seats (the Conservatives had 144 on May 1).
If a party leader doesn’t have a seat, a sitting MP will become the parliamentary leader and hold the title of Leader of the Official Opposition. There is historical precedent for having this type of leadership arrangement.
As an official opposition leader, the representative has privileges beyond voting on legislation such as the ability to ask the first question (along with follow-ups) during question period. Being in the House of Commons often provides soundbites used in political advertising and having the ability to be on the floor greatly helps a leader’s visibility.
If Poilievre remains the head of the Conservatives, there could be a lengthy process to enter the House of Commons. A sitting MP would need to resign their seat, triggering a byelection, and Poilievre would need to be formally nominated as the candidate. According to the law, a writ for a byelection can be issued between 11 and 180 days after the chief electoral officer of Canada receives notice. However, the timing for the byelection call typically falls to the prime minister.
As for the New Democratic Party, its situation is more complicated with leader Jagmeet Singh losing his Burnaby Central (British Columbia) seat and subsequently announcing his intention to resign as leader.
With just seven members elected as of May 1 (down from 25 at the time of dissolution), the NDP lost official party status, which means the returning MPs, in essence, are functioning like independent representatives.
To be a recognized party in the House of Commons, it must hold 12 seats. Without having official party status, the NDP loses the extra funding for staffing, research and other allowable expenses over and above what every MP’s office receives. There are also reduced opportunities for asking questions during question period, making statements in the House of Commons and participating in debates.
The NDP must decide who will lead the party on an interim basis. The likely choice is one of the seven remaining members. Details of the appointment of an interim leader as well as a formal race to elect a new permanent leader weren’t announced as of May 1.
Where will the leaders live?
While this is arguably among the lowest of the priorities in the early weeks, there are formal logistical considerations to consider.
With 24 Sussex Drive, the long-time official Ottawa residence of the prime minister, being in an unlivable condition for years, Carney is set to follow Trudeau in moving into Rideau Cottage.
Located steps away from Rideau Hall (the official residence of the Governor General of Canada), Rideau Cottage was originally built as a home for the secretary or military attaché to the sitting governor general.
The property has seen security upgrades in recent years to help protect the prime minister and his family.
Meanwhile, there has been speculation about whether or not Poilievre will be able to continue to live in Stornoway with his family.
Nestled in Ottawa’s Rockcliffe Park neighbourhood more than a kilometre away from Rideau Hall, Stornoway is the federally owned and maintained residence for the Leader of the Official Opposition.
However, the Official Residences Act calls for the property to be “maintained as a residence for the person recognized as the Leader of the Opposition in the House of Commons.” The law also allows for the Leader of the Official Opposition to have a maintained summer home anywhere in the formally designated National Capital Region. The opposition leader is also entitled to a steward or housekeeper and three other employees to help manage the property.
As of May 1, it wasn’t clear how Stornoway would be occupied going forward.
Figuring out how committees will work
Responsible for overseeing governmental entities, budgets and policies as well as debating proposed legislation, committees are a lesser-watched but key part of Parliament Hill.
The membership of House of Commons 25 standing committees can impact the ability to pass bills, so be prepared to hear discussions on the formation of committees.
According to the written rules that guide how the House of Commons operates, committee compositions are based on the recognized parties (ones with official party status). Heading into the 45th Parliament with a minority government, the Liberals aren’t set to have singular control of committees. With the Conservatives not far back in the seat count, they too won’t be able to control most committees.
Under the incoming parliament, the Bloc Québécois would hold the balance of power — something that might cause the Liberals to consider pushing for the NDP to receive official party status.
Electing the new Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada
The Speaker of the House of Commons, who is often seen refereeing question period, is a powerful position to have in parliament.
The role of the speaker involves overseeing debates, trying to maintain order and ensuring the written rules are followed. The speaker may make rulings based on complaints or inquiries from MPs, and those rulings are final.
The speaker is expected to be impartial even if they were elected as a member of a political party. They only vote if there is a tie.
As part of an administrative and ceremonial capacity, the speaker oversees the management of the House of Commons and acts as a formal representative on behalf of MPs. The speaker chairs a committee called the Board of the Internal Economy, which is the governing body of the House of Commons and is made up of MPs from recognized parties. In collaboration with the Speaker of the Senate, both oversee security and policing of the parliamentary precinct.
There are also perks to being the speaker, such as having an official residence in the Gatineau Hills dubbed “The Farm.” The speaker also gets a $99,900 top-up to the MP base salary of $209,800 and a motor vehicle allowance.
It’s not clear if Greg Fergus, a Quebec Liberal MP who saw the Conservatives attempt to oust him over allegations of partisanship, will attempt to run to be speaker again.
The vote for speaker is the first order of business when parliament resumes after an election. It is a ranked ballot and it is done in secret.
Presenting a throne speech
When a new session of parliament begins, a Speech from the Throne acts as a formal opening.
The throne speech is written by the PMO. It is typically read by the Governor General of Canada (on behalf of the King) in the Senate chamber.
The speech acts as a broad guide for what the government wants to do during the upcoming legislative session.
MPs must vote on the throne speech as a matter of confidence. If it’s defeated, the government is expected to call an election.
Tabling a budget
The Carney government will soon need to present a budget outlining the government’s spending plan for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. It too is a matter of confidence and will require support beyond the Liberal party caucus.
With the current U.S. tariff regime and a trade war developing, economic conditions are expected to worsen in the coming months.
The Liberals’ election platform, TD chief economist Beata Caranci noted, pledged nearly $130 billion in new spending initiatives for priorities such as infrastructure building, defence spending, housing affordability, internal trade and economic development and resource project development.
“Despite what seems like a scattershot of policies, the central theme is to pivot Canada towards domestic economic resilience, after relying on a deepening U.S. relationship for 80 years,” she said in a note.
“This suggests a more active role for government in both funding and building than in the past.”
While the Liberals and Conservatives had “significant alignment in platform objectives to improve Canadian competitiveness,” Caranci said it’s historically unusual for the two parties to vote together in Parliament.
Addressing urgent issues as Canada prepares to host G7
Over and above getting things going after the Canada election, Carney and his government will need to move on a wide range of issues that were front and centre during the campaign.
With Trump looming large in recent months, Carney is set to visit the White House in Washington, D.C., soon to meet with the president and members of his administration.
As concerns surround the trading relationship with the U.S., Carney and his government are expected to forge partnerships with other countries.
Meanwhile, Canada has the presidency of the G7 this year and summit preparations are well underway. In mid-June, leaders from the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Japan and Italy are set to meet in Kananaskis, Alta.
With files from The Canadian Press and Glen McGregor
