Click here to sign up for our free daily newsletter.

Liberals signal intent to impose deadlines on 11 bills sitting in the Senate

Apr 4, 2019 | 12:29 PM

OTTAWA — Tempers are flaring in Canada’s chamber of sober second thought, triggered by a government move to impose deadlines on almost a dozen bills to ensure they pass before Parliament rises in June.

The Liberal government’s representative in the Senate wants the upper chamber to agree to his motion that would set specific timelines for debates and votes on 11 bills to break up what he describes as a legislative logjam.

Sen. Peter Harder, the government’s representative in the Senate, is blaming obstructionist tactics by Conservative senators to slow down legislation already passed by the House of Commons.

The list of bills to be fast-tracked includes Bill C-69, which would impose new rules for environmental assessments of energy projects, as well as C-71, which aims to tighten certain regulations on gun ownership laws, including expanded background checks.

The government has the ability to put time limits on debate, but usually applies the measure to a single bill or piece of legislation.

Sen. Larry Smith, the Conservative leader in the Senate, says what the government proposes is an anti-democratic “time allocation on steroids” and is vowing to use every parliamentary tool available until Harder backs down.

The Canadian Press