Canada’s parliament will reconvene in December

Canada’s parliament will reconvene Dec. 3 — the first time they’ve met since June and the first time they’ve sat down since a marathon election campaign that replaced a Conservative majority with a Liberal majority.

Newly appointed House Leader Dominic Leblanc was the first cabinet member to emerge from a protracted cabinet meeting to face a bank of cameras late Wednesday afternoon.

He said Parliament will reconvene Thursday, Dec. 3. There will be a speech from the throne the following day, Dec. 4.

Leblanc added that the government’s first priority will be its promised tax changes, cutting taxes for middle-income earners and hiking them for the richest Canadians.

“The tax measures could be in place for January 1,” he said.

But that timing may interfere with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s plans to be in Paris for an international climate conference. The conference is scheduled to run from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11.