Inside Politics

Orders of the Day - Back to work, everyone!

by Kady O'Malley Posted: May 28, 2012 9:34 AM Last Updated: May 28, 2012 10:57 AM
Move over, copyright reform bill -- due to the ongoing CP Rail Strike, you're about to be bumped from the House agenda -- not permanently, but for the next few days, at least,  in order to clear the decks for what the government likely hopes will be the swift, and relatively procedural antic-free passage of that back-to-work bill that Labour Minister Lisa Raitt promised to bring forward this week if the parties had failed to reach an agreement by Monday.

To ensure that outcome, however, the government must first pass the preemptive time allocation motion that the government laid out last week, which, as previewed in Orders of the Day, would impose a hard deadline: once second reading has begun, MPs will have just 3.5 hours to consider the bill at all stages. Under the Standing Orders, notice is required to invoke closure on that debate -- on the motion, that is, not the bill itself -- which means that the government won't be able to bring down the hammer until Tuesday.

Once that happens, however, the House can move straight to the legislation, which, barring unforeseen delays, will likely be signed, sealed and delivered to the Senate before midnight, and law by the end of the week. 

In any case, a quintet of ministers -- Raitt and colleagues Denis Lebel (Transport), Joe Oliver (Natural Resources), Paradis (Industry) and Ritz (Agriculture) -- have scheduled a pre-Question Period appearance in the Foyer, during which they will, presumably, provide an update on the government's back to work battle plan, although they won't be able to discuss the bill itself, as it won't be tabled in the House until later this afternoon. 

Meanwhile, on the omnibudget front, both the Finance committee and C-38 subcommittee are set to begin hearings today, with overlapping meetings that are currently scheduled to run from 3:30 until 8:30 pm and 6:30 to 10pm, respectively, with witness lists that appear, at least at first glance, to produce testimony that will be all but unanimous in its enthusiastic support for the bill. 

On the witness list at the main committee: senior officials from virtually every department that will be affected by the legislation, as well as the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, Canadians for Tax Fairness, the Grain Growers of Canada, Imagine Canada and the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada. 

UPDATE: According to an updated schedule, blogger Vivian Krause will also appear before the committee. 

The subcommittee, meanwhile, will hear from Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, the AFL-CIO Building and Construction Trades Department, the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, the Canadian Nuclear Association, the Federation of Ontario Cottagers' Association, the Ontario Commercial Fisheries' Association, the Canadian Construction Association, the Mining Association of Canada and the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities.

Before that gets underway, however, NDP finance critic Peggy Nash will hit the House of Commons Foyer to share the findings of its "nationwide consultations" on the bill.

Also hitting the Foyer footlights this morning: Liberal House Leader Marc Garneau will "outline" the Third Party's "parliamentary strategy in the coming days," including its "approach" to the refugee reform and omnibudget bills, which are currently at report and committee stage, respectively, and are both almost certainly on the government's wish list of legislation that it would very much like to shepherd through the House before the summer recess.

Elsewhere on the Hill, Assembly of First Nations National Chief Shawn Atleo will meet with NDP Leader Tom Mulcair this morning.

Outside the precinct, Transport Minister Denis Lebel provides details on a new program to "test the safety and environmental performance of advanced vehicle technologies" in an afternoon event at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier, and International Cooperation Minister Bev Oda drops in on a local school to launch a new initiative that "will help Canadian children learn about global development initiatives" in cooperation with Right to Play. 

In Toronto, Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver gives a keynote address at the Energy Matters Summit and Finance Minister Jim Flaherty hits the Hockey Hall of Fame to deliver one of his government's signature "announcements".

Finally, Defence Minister Peter MacKay will "mark a new chapter of care for CF personnel and their families" at CFB Halifax. 

For up to the minute dispatches from the precinct and beyond, keep your eye on the Parliament Hill Ticker below -- or, alternatively, bookmark it and check back throughout the day. 

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Tags: blackberry jungle, orders of the day