Policy Matters: Five Bills to Keep an Eye On

Getting legislation passed in a timely manner is critically important to Canada’s economic future and Canadians’ standard of living. As of today (March 10), there are 95 of 117 scheduled House of Commons sitting days left and 124 pieces of legislation that haven’t received Royal Assent or haven’t been defeated. Here are the five bills we’re watching:

Trade diversification

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Bill C-18: An Act to implement the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between Canada and Indonesia

What is it: A trade agreement with Indonesia that would increase access to Indonesia’s market for Canadian exporters. After 10 rounds of negotiations and the signing of CEPA, this is the final step that will ratify the agreement.

Status: At report stage in the House of Commons.

Bill C-13:  An Act to implement the Protocol on the Accession of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)

What is it: The CPTPP is a free trade agreement between Canada and Australia, Brunei, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. The passing of this bill would add the UK to that list.

Status: At report stage in the House of Commons.

Why this legislation matters

Over the past decades, Canada has massively and intentionally integrated our economy with the United States. Despite recent and continued uncertainty, the United States market remains important for businesses across Canada. That said, we also can and should use this opportunity to diversify our trading relationships with like-minded countries around the world. What we want is a yes/and trade scenario. Yes, we want to maintain preferential U.S. market access, and we want to expand trade with non-U.S. markets, building on already established trade deals and relationships in the Indo-Pacific, European Union and the United Kingdom. This is widely viewed as the best way to boost our economic resilience and security.

Canada’s trade diversification efforts are already paying off. According to the Business Data Lab, faster growth in exports to non-U.S. markets has shifted the overall trade mix to countries around the world. In November 2025, the U.S. share of Canadian exports was 68% — one of the lowest values outside of the pandemic.

While diversified export markets are not alternatives to North American partnership, they are safeguards against future shocks. The yes/and option is what the Canadian Chamber is leaning into with our business-led international trade missions. Why business-led? Because while governments may negotiate and sign the trade deals, it’s businesses that turn them from paper into prosperity, creating economic value in terms of jobs and foreign direct investment.

The Federal Budget

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Bill C-15: An Act to Implement Certain Provisions of the Budget Tabled in Parliament on November 4, 2025

What is it: The 2025 Federal Budget, tabled in November.

Status: At second reading in the Senate.

Why this legislation matters

Budget 2025 takes a step toward balancing fiscal restraint with targeted investment. The test ahead is execution and follow through, ensuring that the policies included in the Budget translate into real-world competitiveness and growth. But the Budget needs to pass first.

Read our press release and our policy experts’ takes on Budget 2025.

Health information

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Bill S-5: An Act respecting the interoperability of health information technology and to prohibit data blocking by health information technology vendors

What it is: The Bill is meant to promote a connected and secure health system by ensuring that health information technologies are interoperable (can exchange and make use of information) and to prohibit data blocking (any practice that prevents, discourages or interferes with access to or the use or exchange of electronic health information).

Status: At second reading in the Senate.

Why this legislation matters

It’s common for medical records to be stored electronically in most developed countries, yet many Canadian hospitals still store patient records physically. Electronic storage makes it easy for patients to access their records and for these records to be shared with medical professionals across different establishments, enabling them to better track patient health, provide more accurate diagnoses faster and monitor outcomes.

In addition to better patient health outcomes, a common vision for data privacy standards and an integrated health data system would make real-world medical data available to researchers, driving the development of next-generation treatments. Canada is already a medical research powerhouse — a pan-Canadian health data ecosystem would cement our advantage by attracting more private sector investment.

Learn more about our advocacy on this topic by visiting the Life Sciences Council.

Affordability

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Bill C-4: An Act respecting certain affordability measures for Canadians and another measure

What is it: Part 1 of this Bill would reduce the marginal personal income tax rate on the lowest tax bracket to 14.5% for the 2025 taxation year and to 14% for the 2026 and subsequent taxation years. Part 2 would implement a temporary GST new housing rebate for first-time home buyers on new homes valued up to $1 million and lower the GST for first-time home buyers on new homes valued between $1 million and $1.5 million.

Status: At consideration in the House of Commons of amendments made by the Senate.

Why this legislation matters

Affordability has been a top concern for Canadians for several years, whether because of food inflation (7.3% in January) or the gap between housing supply and demand that’s pricing potential and first-time homebuyers out of the market.

We only mentioned these five bills, but you can view the complete list of bills tabled during the 45^th Parliament on LEGISInfo.