On 19 October, citizens in Alberta will vote in a referendum on whether they want to remain part of Canada or start the process to hold a second binding referendum on leaving the country. This follows a citizen-led initiative in Alberta that sought to trigger a provincial independence referendum through a petition that gathered more than 300,000 signatures, (above the legal threshold required under the Citizen Initiative Act). However, on 13 May, an Alberta court quashed the petition process, ruling that authorities had failed to consider the impact of secession on Indigenous treaty rights and had not fulfilled the Crown’s duty to consult First Nations. Indigenous groups argued that separation would disrupt constitutionally protected treaties. The ruling drew criticism from provincial leaders, who have appealed, while First Nations warned of escalating tensions if consultation obligations continue to be ignored. 

Sources:  The Guardian, BBC, CBC

On 26 March, the Liberal government proposed amendments to the Canada Elections Act through Bill C 25, the Strong and Free Elections Act, introducing a set of reforms aimed at strengthening federal electoral integrity. The proposed amendments extend prohibitions on foreign interference, bribery and disinformation beyond election periods, including new offences targeting deceptive deepfakes of electoral actors. They also restrict the use of unduly long ballots, tighten political financing rules by closing channels for foreign and opaque funding, and introduce new privacy and data breach disclosure requirements for political parties. In parallel, enforcement powers and penalties under the Act were strengthened, and additional resources were allocated to counter foreign information threats. The changes mark a shift toward a more continuous and comprehensive electoral protection framework. The bill passed a second reading on 24 April, and it was referred to committee for detailed consideration and potential amendments.

Sources: CBC, Government of Canada (1), Government of Canada (2), Parliament of Canada

Canada’s ‘notwithstanding’ clause (s. 33)—a constitutional provision allowing the federal and provincial governments to override some Charter rights for up to five years—has faced renewed debate after the Supreme Court began reviewing Quebec’s Bill 21, which bans some public employees from wearing religious symbols. The federal government intervened in the case, arguing in its submission to the Court that repeated use of the override risks undermining constitutional protections and indirectly amending the Constitution. Separately, Quebec has proposed banning public prayer, potentially invoking the clause, raising concerns about infringements on freedom of religion and expression. In Alberta, the government announced plans to use the clause to shield laws restricting transgender rights, including bans on gender-affirming care for minors and participation in women’s sports. These developments highlight growing concerns about the invocation of the ‘notwithstanding’ clause, with the Supreme Court’s decision on Bill 21 likely to set a critical precedent.

Sources: Supreme Court of Canada, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (1), Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (2), Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (3), Canadian Civil Liberties Association

On 28 April, Canada held its 45th General Election. With 43.7 per cent of the vote, the Liberal Party will remain in government, though it fell short (by three seats) of the 172 seats required for a majority. Mark Carney will continue as Prime Minister. The Conservative Party won 41.3 per cent of the vote and 143 seats in the House of Commons. The leaders of the Conservative and New Democratic Parties lost their seats. Preliminary estimates show that turnout was 68.7 per cent (an increase from the 62.5 per cent in 2021), the highest in over 30 years.

Women’s representation in the House of Commons remained essentially unchanged, at 30.0 per cent. The representation of Indigenous people in the House of Commons remains low at 12 MPs (3.3 per cent). However, the proportion of minority lawmakers experienced a modest increase of about 2.6 percentage points (now estimated at 18.1 per cent).

Sources:  Elections Canada, The Globe and Mail, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, British Broadcasting Corporation, Aboriginal Peoples Television Network

Voter turnout for the 45th General Election held on 28 April was the highest in 32 years (in 1993 turnout reached 69.6 per cent). Over 19.5 million people voted in the 2025 federal election, representing about 68.7 per cent of eligible voters in Canada. Advanced voting also saw high turnout numbers, with about 2 million people casting their ballots in the first day of advanced voting alone, and 7.2 million in total voting early over four days (a record, and a 25.0 per cent increase from the 5.8 million people who voted early in 2021, according to Elections Canada).

Sources:  Elections Canada, CTV News, CBC, The Guardian