The legislature is back in action this week after a two-month break.

MLAs will return to their desks on Tuesday, two weeks earlier than initially scheduled. That signals another busy session for the Alberta government in the lead-up to the United Conservatives’ first budget, which is expected to drop on Oct. 24.

But while things heat up in the legislature, most Canadians will have their eyes on the looming federal election, with the official leaders’ debates taking place this week.

The debates

The only official English-language federal leaders’ debate will take place Monday evening, giving viewers a chance to better understand what they’re voting for on Oct. 21.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer, Green Leader Elizabeth May, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet and People’s Party of Canada leader Maxime Bernier will square off on five major subject areas: Affordability and economic insecurity; environment and energy; Indigenous issues; national and global leadership; and polarization, human rights and immigration. The question period will be followed by an open debate among all six party leaders.

The French debate will take place Thursday evening in a similar format.

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, a former cabinet minister in Stephen Harper’s federal government, planned a trip to Toronto on the weekend to campaign for Scheer. Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley, on the other hand, said she doesn’t know if she’ll even vote for Singh because he opposes the Trans Mountain pipeline.

Back in session

The Alberta government will reconvene at the legislature for fall session Tuesday, after initially being scheduled to return Oct. 22.

Government house leader Jason Nixon said MLAs are returning early because they have a lot of work to do. Indeed, the agenda includes at least 14 pieces of new legislation, as well as the United Conservatives’ first budget. Nixon expects a rollback of the previous NDP government’s Bill 6 — a contentious law that saw staunch protests after some farmers took issue with putting their industry under workplace protection stipulations — and has hinted at changes to the Alberta Energy Regulator.

The assembly went on break Aug. 1 after a combative spring session that saw the United Conservatives pass 13 new pieces of legislation, including the carbon tax repeal and a bill that delayed wage negotiations with unions until the end of October.

MLAs are likely preparing for some long nights. The NDP and UCP sat for the longest day in Alberta legislature history in July, when debate over a bill making changes to gay-straight alliance rules reached the 40-hour mark. During another all-nighter in June, the NDP filibustered Bill 2, the Open for Business Act, which made changes to overtime and vacation pay.

Reaching out

Alberta finance minister Travis Toews will host two telephone town halls, on Monday and Wednesday from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m., to hear Albertans’ ideas on how to balance the provincial budget. The first is for residents north of Red Deer, and the second for those in Red Deer and south.

Meanwhile, Doug Schweitzer, minister of justice and solicitor general, will continue his Talking Rural Crime Tour with a stop in Camrose Wednesday, where he will hear concerns from residents at a town hall.

Thanks for reading

This is a new feature being rolled out by the two Star newsrooms in Alberta. Please let us know if there’s something you like, dislike, love or absolutely can’t stand about this newsletter by emailing Kieran.leavitt@torstargroup.ca

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The Star is happy to announce two more reporters will be joining the provincial politics beat this week. Follow Nadine Yousif @nadineyousif_ and Kevin Maimann @TheMaimann on Twitter.

With files from Kieran Leavitt

Correction - Oct. 7, 2019: This article was edited from a previous version that misstated the end time of the telephone townhalls hosted by Alberta finance minister Travis Toews.

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