House of Commons.

• Author: Widmer, Danielle
• Position: Legislative Reports

The First Session of the 42nd Parliament continued through the spring with the House adjourning for the summer break on June 20, 2018. The information below covers the period of March 28 to June 21, 2018.

Financial Procedures

On June 14, 2018, the final supply day in the period ending June 23, the House considered motions to concur in the Main Estimates for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2019. In an effort to encourage the Government to release a breakdown of the cost of carbon pricing to Canadians, the opposition parties put on notice no fewer than 197 opposed items in the Estimates. Similar to the events that transpired on March 22, 2018, the House continued sitting over two calendar days until such time that Mark Strahl (Chilliwack--Hope) sought and obtained unanimous consent that the remaining motions to concur in all opposed items be deemed adopted on division, and that the motion to concur in the unopposed Votes be deemed adopted on division. As per the usual practice, the House adopted the supply bill for the Main Estimates.

Legislation

In early 2018, Bill C-49, An Act to amend the Canada Transportation Act and other Acts respecting transportation and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts, originally introduced in the House by the Minister of Transportation, Marc Garneau (Notre-Dame-de-Grace--Westmount) on May 16, 2017, continued its passage through the Senate. The Bill, that proposes changes to the Canada Transportation Act and the Canadian Transportation Agency, gave rise to a volley of messages between the two Chambers. On April 16, 2018, a message was received from the Senate informing the House that the Senate had passed the Bill with amendments. Following debate on the Senate amendments on May 3, 2018, the House voted to accept certain amendments to the Bill, respectfully disagreed with 12 amendments and made a few further amendments to the Senate's original amendments. The Senate responded in kind with another message to the House insisting on two amendments. On May 22, 2018, the House agreed, by a vote of 163 to 123, to send a message to the Senate that the House respectfully rejected the Senate's amendments. Later that same day, the House was notified that the Senate did not insist on its amendments to which the House had earlier disagreed. The Bill received Royal Assent on May 23, 2018.

Procedure and Privilege

Procedure

On May 29, 2018, the House adopted a motion which temporarily managed the business of the House until June 22, 2018. Amongst other provisions, the motion had the effect of extending...