House of Commons.

• Author: Sokolyk, Gary
• Position: ASSEMBLEE NATIONALE

Several times during the final months of 2006, the attention of Canadians was focused on government initiatives in the House of Commons touching on sensitive political issues.

Foremost among the latter was that of "Quebec nationhood". On November 22, 2006, Prime Minister Stephen Harper pre-empted a Bloc Quebecois Supply motion "that this House recognize that Quebeckers form a nation", by announcing the government's intention to place on notice a motion, "that this House recognize that the Quebecois form a nation within a united Canada." In response to this announcement, the Liberal and NDP leaders rose to offer the unqualified support of their parties for the government's motion.

The Bloc Quebecois motion was debated on November 23, 2006 and the corresponding government motion the following day. The government expedited consideration of its own motion by moving the previous question and by giving notice of a motion for closure pursuant to Standing Order 57. After the adoption (on division) of the motion for closure, debate continued until 8:00 p.m. on Monday, November 27, 2006, at which time the motion was adopted overwhelmingly (Yeas: 265, Nays: 16). This reflected a late decision by the Bloc Quebecois to vote in the affirmative. Their own motion was decisively defeated (Yeas: 48, Nays: 233) the same day.

A casualty of the "nation" debate was the President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister for Sport, Michael Chong, who resigned his cabinet portfolio in order to abstain from voting. Mr. Chong declared that while he supported the government and its policies, the "nation" motion was in conflict with his belief in civic as opposed to ethnic nationalism.

The anticipated government motion calling for the reopening of the debate on same-sex marriage was introduced with very little fanfare, debated expeditiously and defeated (Yeas: 175, Nays: 123) in a recorded division on December 7, 2006. Conservative Members were permitted to vote freely, and thirteen of them, including six Ministers, opposed the motion. The Prime Minister, noting that the government had kept its promise to test the will of the House in this regard, declared the issue closed.

Following the customary adjournment of the House (Nov. 29-Dec. 1) during a Leadership Convention, Stephane Dion addressed the House for the first time as Leader of the Liberal Party on December 4, 2006, with a question to the Prime Minister on the closing of Status of Women offices.

Mr. Dion's first weeks as Liberal Leader were punctuated by the loss of two members of his caucus. Wajid Khan (Mississauga) announced his decision to cross the floor to the Conservatives at a news conference on January 5, 2007. Mr. Khan attributed his decision to his desire to continue in his role as special adviser to the Prime Minister on Middle Eastern Affairs. On January 11, 2007, Jean Lapierre (Outremont) made public his decision to accept an offer of employment in the private sector, with his resignation to take effect prior to the resumption of sittings of the House on January 29, 2007.

Legislation

A Legislative Committee for Bill C-27 (An Act to amend the Criminal Code (dangerous offenders and recognizance to keep the peace)) was struck on November 9, 2006, via the adoption of a motion for concurrence in the 21st Report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs. The following day, pursuant to Standing Order 113(2), the Speaker appointed Bernard Patry (Pierrefonds-Dollard) as Chair of the committee. At the time of writing, the committee has yet to meet.

A heavily-amended version of Bill C-9 (An Act to amend the Criminal Code (conditional sentence of imprisonment) was passed by the House on...