Parliament Returns Next Week: Working for a Strong Canada

Hello friends,

Parliament is set to resume next week, and working for the strength and unity of our country is likely to be a central issue this fall. Threats from abroad, a separation referendum in my own province, and the continuing affordability challenges facing many Canadians will all be at the top of the agenda.

In my work, I will always oppose separatism, foreign imperialism that threatens our sovereignty, and domestic policy agendas that undermine our unity or set our people back. My goal is to build a strong and united Canada. I’m looking forward to being back in Ottawa so that we can use the tools of our Parliamentary democracy to hold the government accountable and furnish a stronger response to the challenges our country faces.

In this week’s newsletter, I’ll be sharing some updates about work I’ve been doing over the summer months, as well as what we expect to see in the coming weeks.

Let’s get into it.

Constituency Events This Summer

It is always such a pleasure to be back in the riding for a more extended period during the summer months. This year, I had the pleasure of visiting a number of local businesses, taking part in some of our local Canada Day festivities, and our office hosted a few different events with great turnouts, like our annual Constituency BBQ, our Politics Summer Day Camp, and a recent series of roundtables.

Kids Politics Summer Day Camp

This year’s Politics Day Camp hosted by my Constituency Office was a huge success! Thanks to everyone who signed up and joined us. There is no better way to learn about how politics works than by experiencing it. Already looking forward to next year’s camp!

Constituency Roundtables

We also recently hosted some roundtables about some of the issues facing Canada and our riding. Thank you to everyone who participated in these events and contributed to the thoughtful discussions we had.

42000 Jobs Lost in August

The most recent data on job losses and youth unemployment increases underlines the need to fix longstanding problems. More than 42000 jobs were lost in August, and the data for this reporting period was from BEFORE trade talks with the US broke down.

With Parliament returning next week, I look forward to being able to engage in meaningful conversations about policies that will strengthen our economy, protect jobs, and get Canadians back to work.

Garnett Genuis @GarnettGenuis 42000 Job Losses In this video, I break down how the Statistics Canada jobs numbers reports work. 1:00 PM · Sep 10, 2026 · 1.21K Views 4 Replies · 4 Reposts · 31 Likes

Dominic Barton is Back!

Mark Carney’s recent appointment of Dominic Barton, former head of McKinsey and longtime Liberal insider, shows that his “new” government is not so different from the “old” one. Apparently the Liberals haven’t learned anything from the last 11 years.

Dominic Barton said he felt “compelled” to resume another role with the government. He also said “I’ve got other stuff I’m doing” at the same time.

It’s not obvious why the Carney government felt “compelled” to bring him on again though, especially when he’s “got other stuff” at the same time. Barton and I have debated Conflict of Interest in the past, especially as it relates to the work of McKinsey:

Meeting with Employers, Innovators, and Startups

In addition to spending a lot of time at home this summer, national tours related to my responsibilities as Conservative Shadow Minister for Employment took me to Eastern Quebec, Southern Ontario, Winnipeg, and Kelowna. Below are a few photos from a short but action-packed trip to Winnipeg, where I met with unions, business leaders, and organizations supporting budding entrepreneurs. I’ve also been meeting with organizations particularly supporting women in business, highlighting our proposed Conservative reforms to parental leave. Check out those proposals here.

Trip to Uzbekistan: Combatting Sexual Violence During War and Communal Conflict

I recently had the opportunity to attend the Inter-Parliamentary Union Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians in Uzbekistan.

Our Canadian delegation hosted a session on Combatting Sexual Violence During War and Communal Conflict. It was a powerful and tense session, especially because some of the countries responsible for these crimes were present and actually participated in the discussion.

I called on young legislators present to work on rewriting cultural honour codes to protect women and punish perpetrators.

You can watch the full session here:

Natural Resources and Human Rights

At the same conference, I also had an opportunity to share briefly about the critical role that free nations play in the advancement and protection of human rights internationally simply in the development and export their natural resources. In search of energy security, countries that would otherwise be our allies can find themselves turning towards hostile, human rights abusing superpowers for these resources.

Allison Inquiry Hears About MAID Coercion

My team and I closely followed the work of the Allison Inquiry that took place last week. In that context, we heard even more stories about MAID coercion, like the one below — people seeking help and being pointed to MAID instead. This has to stop.

My bill, C-260, the Care Not Coercion Act, aims to address exactly this issue. I was pleased to be able to host a townhall on my bill and the issue of MAID Coercion in Winnipeg a few weeks ago, with special guest Katarina Lee-Ameduri, a clinical ethicist from the area. We had a great turnout and a rich conversation. I am looking forward to hosting more events of this kind in the coming year.

If you are interested in organizing a townhall in your city, please email my office expressing your interest and sharing some details about what you have in mind. Someone from my team will follow up with you.

ICYMI: My Summer Columns

For those interested in what I’ve been thinking about lately, here are a few of my other columns from this summer:

• The Virtue of Patriotism

• Mark Carney’s Attack on Parliament

• The Importance of an Effective Opposition

• Fixing immigration

• Adjusting to AI

• Reflections on Developments in Canada-US Relations

I always appreciate hearing from Canadians in my riding and across the country. Feel free to email my office at [email protected] or share your feedback in the comments below.

All the best,
Garnett Genuis MP
Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan