Omnibus budget bill passes in Commons
OTTAWA — The House of Commons passed the Conservative government’s sprawling budget implementation bill on Monday following a final evening of debate.
The vote sends the 400-plus page piece of legislation on to the Conservative-dominated Senate, where it will become law before the end of the week.
Dubbed the Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity Act, the bill has been variously described by its detractors as a “Trojan horse” and a “kitchen sink” due to its massive grab-bag of measures.
The bill includes everything from a complete rewrite of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act to exempting some federal contractors from employment equity law and changing the rules for political advocacy by charities.
Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird told the Commons earlier on Monday that swift passage of the legislation is “absolutely key and essential to creating a good economic climate.”
And he maintained there has been “an unprecedented amount of debate in Parliament and committee” for the omnibus implementation bill.
“We saw last week — more than 157 times — the House vote full confidence in the measures brought forward by this minister of finance for job creation and economic growth,” said Baird, a reference to the 22-hour voting marathon on hostile opposition amendments that stalled Parliament for almost two full days.
But opposition MPs say the implementation bill contains dozens of hidden measures that were not part of the 2012 federal budget delivered in March by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty.
And many of the changes have nothing whatsoever to do with economic performance, such as shutting down the First Nations Statistical Institute or allowing the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission to have temporary members for up to three years.
“There’s whole new departments that are being created, there’s whole laws that are being repealed,” said Green party Leader Elizabeth May.
May is challenging her fellow MPs, particularly Conservatives, to a written quiz Tuesday morning to test their knowledge of what’s in the implementation bill. She promises there will be some surprises, even after all the media coverage to date.
Budget implementation bills have traditionally been rather brief, routine technical documents — they averaged 12 pages in length during the 1990s — that implement spending measures previously announced in the budget itself.
During the minority Conservative years, the Harper government began larding them with other legislative changes, a means of forcing the majority opposition to either fall in line or defeat the government and force an election.
But the Conservatives’ use of a massive omnibus bill, now that they have a majority and can pass any bill they choose, is being called an arrogant abuse of power by the opposition and constitutional experts.
“There’s still a vast confusion, even among Conservatives, as to the difference between Mr. Flaherty’s budget and this outrageous budget implementation bill,” said May.
“This thing is a monstrosity and we never have had adequate time to examine even portions of it. And there are still things that will continue to come to light.”
May needs to
Submitted by CoyoteII on June 19, 2012 - 8:30am.
"May is challenging her fellow MPs, particularly Conservatives, to a written quiz Tuesday morning to test their knowledge of what’s in the implementation bill. She promises there will be some surprises, even after all the media coverage to date."
GROW UP!
Really is that the best you
Submitted by Burntheedge on June 19, 2012 - 2:23pm.
Really is that the best you can do from the Blue world you live in. A government is destroying our country internally and internationally and the best you can do is tell a politician that shows she cares is grow up.....Your reform government is the most corrupt in history and is re-writing 70 laws into a budget bill, something the Reformers complained about when the Liberals tried it and all you got is grow up!!!! I know it hurts taking your blue love from, but open your eyes and realize you are still being done!!!!!
It's called Progress
Submitted by Peter Halifax on June 19, 2012 - 4:20pm.
If you are unhappy - move - I hear Greece is nice!
Good for May.
Submitted by hav2b on June 19, 2012 - 8:50am.
This might be interesting to see how many Conservatives actually know nothing about what's in the bill they have just forced on us. The problem is, it has been approved, whether they understood it or just followed their bosses orders and I suspect the latter.
How long are we supposed to wait now, for this budget to create this "good economic climate" they say it will? And what can we do if it doesn't?
How long before the rest of the country realises that majorities are akin to dictatorships?
Rah Rah
Submitted by D.P.B. on June 19, 2012 - 9:31am.
Go Harper Go
When in that House M.P.’s
Submitted by JollyJack on June 19, 2012 - 9:36am.
When in that House M.P.’s divide,
If they’ve a brain and cerebellum, too,
They’ve got to leave that brain outside,
And vote just as their leaders tell ’em to.
But then the prospect of a lot
Of dull M. P.’s in close proximity,
All thinking for themselves, is what
No man can face with equanimity.
Pte. Willis' song, from "Iolanthe", by Gilbert & Sullivan
The fall of democracy
Submitted by MusicLizard on June 19, 2012 - 12:06pm.
In my opinion, the Harper conservatives are dictators. Maybe next week when we all find out what is really included in this 400 page plus document, then people will finally realize just how much Harper has ruined this country.
John Baird is a national joke
Submitted by frustrated bigtime on June 19, 2012 - 12:03pm.
How can anyone believe this guy? He knows nothig of what he talks about because his handlers tell him exactly what to say.
Elizabeth May is a National Joke
Submitted by Halifax Author on June 19, 2012 - 12:39pm.
Seriously, someone should give May a quiz on Canadian History and Politics and perhaps she wouldn't be wasting time with foolish little quizes. She should be trying to grow her party or delving into what happened that only she was elected on her 'legalize pot' agenda.
Then again, this is a harmless waste of her time. She shouldn't be running to the mailbox every day looking for replies to her quiz though. I expect most people, like the voters did, will ignore her.
Government by Lard
Submitted by CapeHalifax on June 19, 2012 - 3:06pm.
OK, up to now Stephen Harper was mostly a rather unique opinion that for the most part could be taken with a large dose of salt.
But now he has a majority and all restraints on his rather colourful imagination are off.
We have seen that he does not have control of spending. The Harper Government is set to leave office having increased the both the deficit and the debt dramatically. Setting us back years economically making us less competitive in the marketplace for the foreseeable future.
The degree to which the Conservative, Reform, Alliance Party has conducted themselves with contempt for the Queen and the Parliament of Canada is new in this country. It sets a negative tone in our democracy that will be difficult to undo. Citizen engagement is the face of the abuse of power always suffers. Expect to see the rise of an underground culture in this country, working at cross-purposes with government edict and law enforcement, supported by average citizens.
Harper continues to have trouble controlling his legislative agenda even though he has no rivals that can effectively derail it - He seems to have no set agenda other than to pass as much unsustainable legislation as he can within a single term.
The size of this catch-all bill is an indication that he doesn't believe he will be in power long enough to pass all the articles with due scrutiny - let’s see if we can shorten that expectation even more.
Comments By the uninformed
Submitted by Peter Halifax on June 19, 2012 - 4:26pm.
Typical Progressive Socalist Commentary and void of fact.
CapeHalifax writes
"We have seen that he does not have control of spending"
"However as things stand now, the deficit for the year is nearly $13 billion smaller than predicted for 2011-12 when the budget was announced last June and slightly better than in the most recent revised estimate, showing Ottawa continues to make progress towards balancing its budget."
http://metronews.ca/news/canada/238047/ottawas-fiscal-deficit-comes-in-a...
The rest is typical Socalist Progressive propaganda.
Good job Mr. Harper - keep it up!
Not all of us are gullible and naive.