Government pushes to fast-track controversial omnibus bill through House

OTTAWA – Just one week after introducing it, the Conservative government is moving to fast-track its controversial omnibus budget bill.

The House of Commons passed a motion Thursday to impose time allocation on Bill C-45, essentially limiting how long it can be debated by MPs.

“They’ve introduced a law and then right away they introduce time allocation,” interim Liberal leader Bob Rae said after the motion passed.

“I think it’s pretty strange and pretty bizarre. I don’t find it a normal way to conduct public business to introduce a time allocation bill almost simultaneously with the introduction of the law.”

It’s the second omnibus bill the Conservatives have introduced to implement last March’s budget.

The first mammoth bill last spring triggered an opposition filibuster that brought Parliament to a virtual standstill for several days.

The Conservatives have already agreed to an opposition proposal to let nine House of Commons committees examine different aspects of the 400-plus-page bill, which changes some 60 pieces of legislation.

New Democrat Leader Tom Mulcair had pushed the government to go much further, seeking to split the behemoth bill into 12 separate legislative chunks.