“For the Conservatives, it’s all about effective political sequencing, they’re working on the timeline for the next federal election, it’s not surprising their first [majority] budget is front-loaded with everything they need, including the kitchen sink, in order to set the table for the next federal election,” Mr. Nanos told The Hill Times as MPs were bracing for a marathon of overnight voting Wednesday and while the opposition parties attempt to draw as much voter attention to the spectacle as they can before the long summer break arrives.
The NDP on Tuesday aimed to turn the drama unfolding on Parliament Hill to its own advantage, sending out a last-minute e-blitz for cash donations because “we need you on our side” as the opposition rails at the fact the 425-page budget bill covers so many controversial measures that more than 70 federal statutes are changed—including an entirely new Environmental Assessment Act that limits scrutiny of large resource projects and other measures that give Mr. Harper’s (Calgary Southwest, Alta.) Cabinet new decision-making powers over oil pipeline approvals.
“For weeks now, we’ve been asking the Conservatives to do the right thing—split up the bill and allow for proper study, but they didn’t listen,” said the NDP email solicitation for cash donations—“$25, $50, whatever you can afford.”
As one of the final rounds of Commons debate began late Tuesday afternoon—scheduled until midnight under a government move that extended sitting hours for the last two weeks before the House recess—Liberal and NDP MPs continued accusations that the government was trying to prevent public consideration of myriad budget measures and bury contentious measures in the massive bill.
But, along with other Conservative MPs, Minister of State for Finance Ted Menzies (Macleod, Alta.) argued the short title of the legislation—the Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity Act—symbolizes the government’s overarching aim of introducing measures it claims will stimulate jobs and economic growth, particularly centred on the oil, gas, and other resource industries.
Mr. Menzies defended the size of the document, arguing budgets usually require two large bills, and said the legislation is crucial to strengthen Canada’s economy.
“This is a momentous year for us,” Mr. Menzies told The Hill Times. “We have been recognized around the world as being on the right track financially. We need to continue on that, it takes decisive actions.”
The measures in Bill C-38—which the NDP labelled the “Trojan Horse” bill—include everything from controversial new rules severely restricting traditional access to employment insurance in regions where seasonal work is the mainstay to Canada’s withdrawal from the international climate change treaty provisions of the Kyoto Accord, and extend into areas the opposition says are unrelated to budget measures, such as elimination of the internal watchdog inspector general at Canada’s spy agency, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.
Under a motion the Conservative majority government passed on Tuesday to limit debate—the 26th time the government has imposed time allocation or closure in this Parliament—the final 10 hours of debate on the Commons Finance Committee’s report to the House from hearings on the legislation will end at around 5 p.m. on Wednesday evening. That will be followed by up to 20 hours or more of non-stop voting on opposition amendment motions through the night into Thursday morning.
NDP House Leader Nathan Cullen (Skeena-Bulkley Valley, B.C.) earlier advised government MPs to “bring their pajamas.”
The government is scheduling the final phase of Commons debate on the bill to begin on Monday at noon, with the last eight hours of debate to end at midnight, followed by a vote to send the bill to the Conservative-dominated Senate, which has already started its own committee hearings on the legislation.
The Commons is scheduled to adjourn for the summer on Friday, June 22, and resume sitting again on Monday, Sept. 17.
Mr. Nanos said tactics the Conservative are using on the budget bill, including a late budget delivery that set the stage for a final stormy passage as the summer recess neared, are likely inherited from the right-wing Ontario government of former Progressive Conservative premier Mike Harris.
“A lot of the Cabinet ministers sitting around the table are former Mike Harris Cabinet ministers. This is an effective strategy that’s been used in the past by them,” Mr. Nanos said. “Mike Harris was masterful at political timing. Many times he trailed the Liberals between elections but on election day was ahead.”
Several of Mr. Harper’s top ministers, including Finance Minister Jim Flaherty (Whitby-Oshawa, Ont.), were also close to Mr. Harris in his Cabinet. Others from the Harris camp are Treasury Board President Tony Clement (Parry Sound-Muskoka, Ont.), Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird (Ottawa West-Nepean, Ont.) and Mr. Van Loan, who was unelected to Queen’s Park but served as the provincial Progressive Conservative party president under Mr. Harris. Several aides in Mr. Harper’s government, including former chief of staff Guy Giorno, were also key organizers for Mr. Harris.
Mr. Nanos said the budget carries all the signs of shrewd political strategy for long-term gain at the expense of short-term turbulence.
“The election is not today, they’re thinking, ‘Let’s lay political track right now,’ ” Mr. Nanos said.
“Being the authors of the budget, they knew and could likely anticipate this particular opposition reaction,” he said. “By putting so many things in the budget, you can’t fight them all. If you’re the opposition, what are you going to punch at?”
One of the most controversial provisions—which will delay qualification for Old Age Security benefits to age 67 from age 65—does not begin taking effect until 2023 and will be fully implemented by 2030.
The opposition has argued, among other points, that the mushrooming baby boom generation of seniors—which the government has cited as the principal need for the change—will by that time begin shrinking through natural attrition.
Original Article
Source: hill times
Author: Tim Naumetz
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