Massive budget bill clears first, big legislative hurdle
Posted May 14, 2012 10:55:07 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
OTTAWA – The Harper government’s massive budget implementation bill cleared its first major legislative hurdle late this afternoon.
The Conservatives used their majority to give the bill approval in principle by a vote of 149 to 132.
It will now be sent to the Commons finance committee for more detailed examination.
New Democrats tied the House of Commons in procedural knots last Wednesday in a bid to put off the vote and pressure the government to split up the 425-page bill into more manageable chunks.
But N-D-P House leader Nathan Cullen conceded there was little the official Opposition could do to block today’s second-reading vote _ barring extreme tactics like pulling the fire alarms, which the N-D-P didn’t want to employ.
Still, Cullen says there will be more procedural ploys in the days ahead as the bill wends its way through committee and, eventually, back to the Commons.
Interim Liberal leader Bob Rae says his party is also trying to mobilize public opinion to ensure that affected groups have a chance to be heard during finance committee hearings on the bill.
Finance Minister Jim Flaherty argued that speedy passage of the bill is essential for Canada’s economic well-being.
