In the news today: MPs to vote on Prime Minister Carney’s budget

By Canadian Press on November 17, 2025.

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed…

MPs to vote on Prime Minister Mark Carney’s first budget today

Members of Parliament will today decide whether to vote in favour of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s budget or send the country back to the polls less than a year after the last federal election. The consequential budget vote, scheduled for later today, serves as a confidence vote for the minority Liberals. The Liberals need the support from another party – or at least a few MPs outside their party – to get the votes needed to pass the budget. So far, opposition parties have spoken out against the budget, saying it doesn’t align with their priorities, and it isn’t yet clear where the Liberals will get the votes they need. The Liberals presented their budget as a plan to spend less and invest more in the face of U.S. tariffs.

Swedish royals make 1st trip to Canada since 2006

The Swedish royal family is paying a rare, three-day state visit to Canada this week, bringing with them a delegation of top government ministers and representatives from dozens of Swedish companies. King Carl XVI Gustaf — Sweden’s longest reigning monarch — and Queen Silvia will be in Ottawa and Montreal Tuesday through Thursday. It’s their first trip to Canada since 2006, when Stephen Harper was prime minister. Supreme Court Chief Justice Richard Wagner will greet the Swedish royals when they arrive, since Governor General Mary Simon is still recovering from a respiratory virus. The high-profile state visit comes amid intrigue about expanded manufacturing interest from Swedish defence firm Saab, which is considering whether to start assembling its Gripen fighter jets in Canada.

Here’s what else we’re watching…

StatCan set to report October inflation data

Statistics Canada is set to publish inflation figures for October this morning. A Reuters poll of economists ahead of the release predicts annual inflation fell to 2.1 per cent in October, according to LSEG Data & Analytics, down from 2.4 per cent in September. Economists say the decline is expected in part because gasoline prices were down in October, though food price inflation is expected to remain around the same elevated level. The end of most of Canada’s retaliatory tariffs in September is also poised to help put further downward pressure on inflation for October and the months ahead. But economists say steady consumer spending, despite rising unemployment, is keeping inflation from falling further.

Canada may fall short of cervical cancer elimination

A Canadian Cancer Statistics report says the country may not reach its goal of eliminating cervical cancer by 2040. Data published by the Canadian Cancer Statistics Advisory Committee shows a “concerning plateau” of cervical cancer rates, signalling Canada is moving in the wrong direction. The World Health Organization set a global goal in 2018 of virtually eliminating this type of cancer, which is caused by the human papilloma virus, to fewer than four cases diagnosed per 100,000 females. Canada was making progress for decades as cervical cancer rates steadily declined between 1984 and 2005, but since then the trend has fluctuated.

TD settles complaint by B.C. Muslim-Indigenous man

A human rights complaint has been settled between the TD Bank and a Muslim-Indigenous man who claimed he was racially profiled while trying to open a bank account at a Surrey, B.C., branch. Sharif Mohammed Bhamji, a member of the Heiltsuk Nation, said he hopes his case serves as example to others who have experienced similar injustices and encourages them to speak out. The settlement marks the conclusion of a complaint that was set off in May 2021 when Bhamji went into a TD branch near his Surrey home to verify his identity after completing the online portion of the banking application. When he presented his Indian status card, the teller, seemingly perplexed by his Muslim last name, told him it was fake, Bhamji said on Sunday.

Toronto City Hall to raise Palestinian flag

The City of Toronto is expected to join several other cities across Canada in raising the Palestinian flag this morning at city hall. The city is set to raise the Palestinian flag at 10 a.m. in commemoration of the 37th anniversary of the Palestinian Declaration of Independence after a petition from the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians. Under the city’s flag policy, flags of other countries are allowed to be flown at city hall on their national days or for special anniversaries. The flag can now be flown under the policy after Canada officially recognized the State of Palestine in September. Flags have also gone up at city hall in Calgary, Brampton, Ont., and Mississauga, Ont.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 17, 2025.

The Canadian Press