The government’s biggest challenge will be a Conservative Party that is eager to gum up the works even if it means sitting late into June. Pictured: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Photo Credit: Justin Trudeau/X.
With time ticking down, the government has a number of key pieces of legislation on the docket to handle before rising for the summer at the end of June. No one more important than budget bill, C-69, as once passed, it typically means MPs can call it quits, pack their bags and head out for the summer.
Today marks what those in Ottawa refer to as “Silly Season” as it is the final push before the summer recesses and the House of Commons rises for the summer, and anything can happen. Tensions are already high in the House and the government has less than five weeks to move their legislative agenda before having to wait till the fall. If rumours are true, the government is looking to rise early this year and look to hit the BBQ circuit to reconnect with Canadians.
Though, like many dreams, reality may clip the wings of the Liberals’ hope and MPs will have to remain in Ottawa well into June. Since November 2021, when the government returned to power following the last election, the government has introduced 70 pieces of legislation. It is easy to introduce legislation. Just look at the number the number of Private Members’ Bills from backbenchers and opposition parties. The real challenge is to navigate the House and Senate to keep things move on time and without delay.
To the Liberals’ credit, they have been able to shepherd over 45 of their bills through the House and Senate. This includes two budgets and fall economic statements, both confidence votes, amendments to prevent the use of replacement workers during strikes, a new free trade agreement with Ukraine, and the Online News Act which will requires big tech companies to compensate media organizations for their content.
The challenge for the government over the next few weeks will not only be the short runway to pass C-69 but also to manage their legislative agenda. The government still has to pass the Fall Economic Statement, that was introduced in November, move along other key pieces of legislation, like C-27 which makes changes to Canada’s privacy laws and has stalled at committee, and keep on top of day-to-day challenges while fending off a hungry opposition.
The government has a number of tools in the toolbox to help manage their legislative agenda as they enter the final stretch. The Liberals have time allocation, which they can introduce to limit debate and the opposition parties from dragging their feet. They can extend sitting hours and use pre-studies in both the House and Senate to move things along. Before the last break week, the government introduced a motion to speed up the committee process around pharamacare at the Health Committee.
Their biggest challenge will be a Conservative Party that is eager to gum up the works even if it means sitting late into June. For the Tories, they see the next few weeks as an opportunity to cause more frustration for the government through procedural tricks and delays to prevent the government from moving forward. By doing this, the opposition party will compel the government to allocate more time, capital, and resources in the House, potentially leading to slip-ups in other areas and creating an opportunity for the blue team to seize.
The biggest tool for the government is the NDP and their supply-and-confidence agreement. Not only are they assured the votes to move their legislation forward on the budget, but the Liberals also know that no matter what, they will be returning in the fall as the government.
Though the next few weeks may be rocky and have some long nights, the Liberals will be able to sleep tight knowing that the keys to the Prime Minister’s Office are safe and came fall, they won’t be the ones falling.
Daniel Perry is a consultant with Summa Strategies Canada, one of the country’s leading public affairs firms. During the most recent federal election, he was a regular panelist on CBC’s Power and Politics and CTV Morning Ottawa.
