Tories warn Senate to stop delaying on crime bill
Last Updated: Wednesday, February 6, 2008 | 8:41 PM ET
CBC News
Canada's justice minister issued a stern warning to the Liberal-dominated Senate on Wednesday, telling senators to quit stalling and pass his government's violent crime bill by the end of February.
"Canadians deserve no less," Rob Nicholson told MPs in the House of Commons before addressing the Senate's legal and constitutional affairs committee.
Nicholson suggested that if the Senate does not pass Bill C-2, he will advise Prime Minister Stephen Harper to make it a confidence measure, which could technically see it topple the government and force an election.
Nicholson wouldn't speculate on how Harper might turn the matter into one of confidence, since confidence rules don't apply to the Senate.
Harper has the option of going to the governor general to argue that an election is needed because the Senate is unduly delaying legislation.
The Conservative government could also introduce a confidence motion in the House of Commons directing the Senate to pass the legislation, but since the opposition parties have already allowed the bill to pass, they would presumably support such a motion.
The Tackling Violent Crime Act passed in the House of Commons in November and now needs Senate approval to be made into law. The bill calls for stricter rules surrounding gun crimes, violent crimes and dangerous offenders, and it calls for increasing the age of sexual consent to 16 from 14 in certain cases.
Senator says meeting deadline unlikely
Liberal Senator Sharon Carstairs scoffed at the sudden rush on Wednesday, noting that it's not unusual for bills to take several months to clear the Senate.
She said senators have a "constitutional responsibility" to study the legislation, and suggested it is unlikely that it could be rushed through within the month.
"They bully everyone and now they're bullying an entire institution," she said, referring to the Conservatives. "But the timeline will not be set by the minister of justice. The timeline will be set by the committee of the Senate."
Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day said Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion could put pressure on senators.
"A decision could be made by the leader to instruct the Senate to move this bill through," Day said
"The Liberals continue to delay it. Why will Stéphane Dion not move this bill, not instruct his Liberals in the Senate to move this bill through?"
With files from the Canadian PressShare Tools
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