Potential for marathon week for MPs as Speaker set to rule on budget amendments
OTTAWA - Opposition politicians throwing hundreds of amendments at the Conservatives' omnibus budget bill are about to find out which ones are going to stick.
The Speaker of the House of Commons is expected to rule Monday on how the over 1000 changes proposed to Bill C-38, the government's budget implementation bill, will be handled in the Commons.
The 400-plus pages of legislation amends some 70 laws, including the process for environmental assessment and the rules around Old Age Security and Employment Insurance.
The government argues all the legislation contained within the bill is to the economic benefit of the country but critics say jamming together so many major changes means none receive appropriate scrutiny.
So all the Opposition parties have pulled procedural rabbits of their hats, and have introduced over 1000 changes that will each require a vote.
The Speaker could throw some of them out or bundle them together to cut down on votes that could run around the clock later this week.
