The recent prorogation of Parliament has sent Senators' bills back to the starting line, causing frustration and disappointment among lawmakers. Unlike private members' bills in the House of Commons, Senate public bills do not automatically carry over to the next session. This means that bills that had already made progress in the previous session must restart their legislative journey.
Prorogation has sent Senators' bills back to the starting line, sparking frustration and disappointment, though some see an opportunity in the sitting break. Unlike MP private members' bills, which are automatically reinstated on the Order Paper at the stage they left off prior to prorogation once the new session begins, Senate equivalents—known as public bills—aren’t carried over, and have to restart their legislative journeys.
Bills that had already been passed by the Senate and sent to the House have to be re-adopted by the Upper Chamber before they can return to the Commons. But after they’ve once again cleared the Senate, so long as they’re identical to the bill put forward in the previous session, the MP sponsor can ask the House Speaker for the bill to be reinstated at the same stage it was at prior to prorogation, provided that request comes within the first 60 sitting days of the new session. As per Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Que.)’s Jan. 6 announcement, Parliament has been prorogued until March 24. But it remains unclear how long the second session of the 44th Parliament will last, with a new Liberal leader set to be elected and step into the prime minister’s chair on March 9, and mounting calls for a federal election ahead of the mandatory October timeline. In turn, parliamentarians hoping to get legislation across the finish line face an uncertain countdown. “It does not look that hopeful,” said ISG Senator Kim Pate (Algonquin Anishinabe Aki, Ont.), who had a number of bills on the Order Paper: S-233, the National Framework for a Guaranteed Livable Basic Income Act, which had reached committee stage in the Senate; S-212, which sought to create an automatic criminal record expiry system to replace applications, and was at third reading in the Senate; and S-230, which sought to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act, and was awaiting first reading in the House. Ontario ISG Senator Kim Pate says she now sees little hope for her public bills to pass before the end of this Parliament, but would be 'overjoyed' to be wrong. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade “Certainly a number of people who have been in touch, who were waiting for them, are quite disappointed, but I will continue working on these issues,” said Pate. Still, seeing her bills sent back to square one is “frustrating,” especially given the long road some have faced, Pate said. For example, S-230 resurrected Senate-proposed updates to Bill C-83, which was passed in 2019 and amended the Corrections and Conditional Release Act. Those changes—based on the work of the Senate Human Rights Committee—were ultimately shot down by the House. Resurrecting them through a Senate bill was something the late senator Josée Forest-Niesing had initially planned to table before she died in 2021, noted Pate. Also known as Tona’s Law, it was named in honour of an Indigenous woman and '60s Scoop survivor who spent most of her 10 years in federal custody in solitary confinement, and was later diagnosed with isolation-induced schizophrenia. “Tona, who we named the bill after, is ill and … it may not pass before she dies. Even if we reintroduce it, it may not get through,” said Pate. “I suspect that much of what’s in Bill S-230 will eventually need to become law just because of other challenges that are happening within the courts because of what’s happening in the prisons.” While there are options to expedite the passage of bills—namely through unanimous consent—Pate said she’s not counting on that happening “given that there wasn’t unanimity” the first time around. “It’s not like me to not be optimistic,” Pate said, but noted her current assumption is that there’s little runway left in this Parliament even when the new session begins, and what time is available would likely be occupied with getting a new budget passed and government legislation across the finish line. “If I’m wrong, I would be overjoyed to see us move on these issues.” Quebec Senator Julie Miville-Dechêne says there's no silver lining to prorogation for her. 'I'm losing too much.' The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade ISG Senator Julie Miville-Dechêne (Inkerman, Que.) said she’s “extremely disappointed” by the effect prorogation has had on her bill, S-210, which seeks to prevent sexually explicit material from being made available to young people online, and had made it to report stage in the House last June. It’s a bill she’s now been working for four years to get passed, with her first attempt having died when Parliament dissolved ahead of the 2021 election. “I had to pass it literally twice in the Senate” already, she noted. Miville-Dechêne said it’s not only disappointing for her personally, but it’s also “a shame considering the urgency to protect the children in Canada,” noting the impacts such exposure can have on children, from developing harmful stereotypes or prejudices, to provoking sexual dysfunction.
PARLIAMENT PROROGATION SENATE BILLS LEGISLATION CANADA
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Parliament Prorogation Halts Progress on Key Bills, Including Election Reform and Online SafetyTwenty-six government bills, including measures to enhance voting accessibility and combat online harm, face an uncertain future after Parliament's prorogation.
Read more »
Prorogation of Parliament Kills Dozen Bills, Leaving Canadians VulnerableThe Canadian Parliament has been prorogued, effectively killing over two dozen government bills including crucial legislation on voting rights, online child protection, and Indigenous water access.
Read more »
Cake Conundrum: Friend Throws Away Coconut Cake, Partner Throws a FitA man at a friend's birthday party throws away a slice of cake with desiccated coconut, leading to an angry backlash from his friend's partner who claims to have cried all night about not getting a slice herself.
Read more »
Conservatives Slam Trudeau's Prorogation as 'Selfish'The Conservative Party criticizes Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's decision to prorogue Parliament, arguing it hinders Canada's ability to address critical issues and weakens its position in dealing with the U.S. under President-elect Donald Trump.
Read more »
Canada Revenue Agency Collects Higher Capital Gains Taxes Despite Parliament ProrogationThe Canada Revenue Agency is collecting higher capital gains taxes despite the prorogation of Parliament, which killed the proposed changes that were still under debate.
Read more »
Canada Revenue Agency to Implement Capital Gains Tax Changes Despite ProrogationThe Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will continue to administer proposed capital gains tax changes despite Parliament's prorogation until March 24. The Finance Department states that these changes, tabled in September, are effective as soon as a notice of ways and means motion is introduced. The CRA will issue taxpayer forms based on these proposed rules by January 31st. The policy will be halted if Parliament resumes and the government decides against implementing the changes.
Read more »