Carney rallies Liberal MPs as 'crucial session' of Parliament set to resume

Prime Minister Mark Carney gives a speech to his caucus on Friday in Ottawa. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)Social SharingPrime Minister Mark Carney says his government is focused on bringing down costs for Canadians and defending the country's sovereignty, though he acknowledged that some of those efforts are in their early stages.

"As we build Canada strong, we remain laser focused on bringing down costs for Canadians and keeping Canadians safe. Because we know that the full benefits of our plan will take some time," he said on Friday to a room full of Liberal MPs.

Speaking to the Liberal caucus as MPs prepared to return to the House of Commons next week, Carney welcomed three new members who won byelections in August.

The Opposition Conservatives have been sharpening their lines of attack on the government. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre asked at a news conference this week whether Canadians feel their lives have improved since Carney took office.

Carney, who just wrapped a busy week that included an investment summit in Toronto and a speech to the European Parliament in France, told MPs that "was just the warm-up."

"This is a crucial session of the House of Commons," he told the caucus. "We are going to introduce some of the most consequential legislation not just of this government, but in decades."

He said the government will introduce a bill this fall to streamline project reviews, to be known as the Building Canada Strong Act.

"For projects and supply chains, our standard will be simple: one project, one review, one year," he said.

"If we're going to say no, say no quickly. If we are going to say yes, say yes on time. When Canada decides a project should go ahead, that project will go ahead."

Canada can maintain its high standards for projects while moving quickly, he said.

The prime minister said the government will also push ahead with its social media and AI regulation bill this fall.

"We've been hearing the concerns of families and educators, medical practitioners in our community, children falling victims of sexual abuse, cyberbullying and extreme violence online," he said.

"The status quo is failing our kids. The tech companies won't fix it. We will not stand by."

The government is also set to release a new budget during this fall sitting, which is expected to run until December.

Carney said the government will "manage spending and optimize our balance sheet" with its fiscal plan.

He said the government is in a financial position now to add new support for social programs and expand child care, but did not share specifics.