Both the Senate and the House of Commons will resume sitting on Monday, Sept. 19.
Monday, Aug. 27:
- National Revenue Minister Gail Shea met with local businesses in Manitoba and Saskatchewan over the course of the week to discuss CRA initiatives to reduce the burden placed on small businesses.
- Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced the appointment of Thomas J. Lawson as the new chief of defence staff.
Tuesday, Aug. 28:
- Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird, on behalf of International Trade Minister Ed Fast, attended a consultation session in Ottawa with Eastern Ontario business leaders to help the government refresh its global commerce strategy.
- Industry Minister Christian Paradis gave an address to the Economic Club of Canada encouraging Canadian businesses to be leaders in the global digital economy.
- Statistics Canada released second quarter financial statistics for enterprises. Canadian corporations earned $71.9 billion in operating profits in the second quarter, down 4.9 per cent from the previous quarter. This decrease follows two consecutive quarterly increases.
Thursday, Aug. 30:
- Human Resources and Skills Development Minister Diane Finley announced a competitive call for concept papers for the new sectoral initiatives program. This program will help respond to skills shortages in key sectors of the economy by developing a new proactive approach to coordinating the information job seekers need to find employers that are hiring.
- Minister of State (Finance) Ted Menzies attended the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Finance Minister’s Meeting. APEC finance ministers discussed issues related to the global economy, including economic reforms countries are implementing within the context of plans agreed to in the G20.
Friday, Aug. 31:
- Statistics Canada announced that the Canadian economy expanded at a 1.8 per cent annual pace during the last quarter, outperforming the U.S. economy.
- International Trade Minister Ed Fast announced the creation of the Canada-ASEAN Business Council, which will focus on growing private-sector cooperation between Canadian and Southeast Asian businesses.
Eye on the Hill is prepared by Ottawa-based government relations and communications firm Flagship Solutions.
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