House of commons.

• Author: Cadieux, Suzie
• Position: Legislative Reports

December 16, 2010, was the last sitting day of the fall session of the House of Commons. The House returned on January 31, 2011, amid speculation about the possibility of a spring election and the content of the upcoming budget.

Financial Procedures--Opposition Days

On December 2, 2010, a motion was adopted by unanimous consent amending Standing Order 81(10)(a) to provide certain directives for the allocation of the 22 sitting days for the consideration of the business of supply in 2011 during the present Parliament. This continues a practice that began with the adoption of a motion to the same effect on June 19, 2009.

On December 9, 2010, the Supplementary Estimates (B) for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2011 were concurred in by a vote of 200 to 68. Bill C-58, An Act for granting to Her Majesty certain sums of money for the federal public administration for the financial year ending March 31, 2011, was then also agreed to at all stages.

Legislation

During recent debates on several pieces of government legislation, opposition Members expressed their objections about the nature of the short titles used for the bills, and the short titles of several of them were deleted during committee. Bill C-22, An Act respecting the mandatory reporting of Internet child pornography by persons who provide an Internet service, the short title of which had been Protecting Children from Online Sexual Exploitation Act, was reported back from the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights with amendment on October 25, 2010, as the Committee voted to delete the short title of the Bill. On November 15, 2010, at report stage in the House, Bob Dechert (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice) moved that the short title be restored to its original form but the motion was negatived 138 to 126. Similarly, on December 14, 2010, the House negatived a motion at report stage to restore the short title, Serious Time for the Most Serious Crime Act, of Bill S-6, An Act to Amend the Criminal Code and another Act, which had been deleted in committee. The short title Cracking Down on Crooked Consultants Act of Bill C-35, An Act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, was also deleted in committee and the Bill was concurred in at report stage on December 6, 2010, pursuant to a special order.

On December 1, 2010, during Routine Proceedings, Mark Holland (Ajax-Pickering) moved that the First Report of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and...