MP's returned to Parliament Hill yesterday, and Dauphin-Swan River-Neepawa's Robert Sopuck thinks the ethics of the Trudeau government will be under scrutiny.

"We have a prime minister who's under an investigation by the Ethics Commissioner," he says, "But more importantly, we're going to be focusing on the economic management. For example, the deficit spending is getting out of control, but even worse is how Canada's going in exactly the opposite direction from the US. We're raising taxes at the same time the US is reducing overall taxes."

Sopuck thinks economic issues will be a large focus in this session, especially with the latest forecast from the US National Association of Home Builders.

"They forecast that if the softwood lumber agreement isn't signed, and there's a 25% duty on Canadian softwood lumber exports, there will be an immediate 8000 person job loss in the United States, and the loss of a $450,000,000 wage bill," he says, "So it's incumbent upon us (MPs) to point out to the US that 9,000,000 jobs in the US depend on trade with Canada."

Sopuck has some concerns about foreign policy, especially with how the new American administration is dealing with the Canadian government. He points out it's traditional for a new US president to meet with the Canadian prime minister first.

"And that did not happen," he says, " And that is actually a worrying sign from a foreign policy standpoint. He met with Prime Minister May from the UK, so I'm afraid that Canada is being ignored not only by the US, but has returned to kind of a soft power status in the world. And if we take that particular approach, we're not going to be taken seriously."