Wednesday March 25, 2020 ~ NATIONAL
by Mary Brooke ~ West Shore Voice News
After negotiations among the House Leaders of the recognized parties in the House of Commons, debate finally got underway in the early hours of Wednesday, March 25t on Bill C-13, An Act respecting certain measures in response to COVID-19.
The House adjourned at 5:53 am Eastern Time (2:53 am Pacific Time).
The Bill (as revised after just a few minutes on Tuesday evening) — which will provide $82 billion in support to Canadian individuals and businesses — finally passed without amendment, at all stages in the House of Commons. It will now go to the Senate (as anticipated) today Wednesday, March 25, 2020.
It is an Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Canada Evidence Act, the Competition Act and the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Act.
Swift passage of Bill C-13 in the upper chamber is anticipated before making its way to the Governor General for Royal Assent. Text of the new emergency bill is now posted online.
Local island MP Alistair MacGregor (Cowichan-Malahat-Langford) said that representing the NDP in the House for the overseeing of this important legislation were party leader Jagmeet Singh together with MPs Rachel Blaney and Lindsay Mathyssen were representing the party. Alistair MacGregor, MP (Cowichan-Malahat-Langford) has been social-distancing at his home with his family in the Cowichan Valley since arriving back from Ottawa on March 13.
On the first round of the legislation yesterday, Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer put down his party’s foot, saying that the Liberals were asking for too much sweeping power with a say over wide areas of taxation. The NDP also said they were surprised by that unexpected clause inserted by the Liberals. The Bloc Quebecois said the scope of powers was okay, but only to September 2020, not year-end 2021 as the Liberals were looking for.
Opposition parties refusing to pass what turned out to be the first draft of the legislation is what set in motion the evening-long negotiations, into the wee hours of Wednesday morning.
Bill C-13, as it was ultimately presented in the House, will reflect the changes that happened following the suspension and subsequent negotiations by the various party House Leaders throughout Tuesday afternoon and well into the evening.
More to come.