6 • THURSDAY, December 30, 2021
VIEWPOINT
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ALBAS: Parliament working together Last week was the final sitting of the House of Commons before the winter break. As is often the case, the government is typically in a hurry to pass certain bills before the House adjourns. This year was no differ- DAN ALBAS ent as Bill C-3 “An Act to VIEW FROM amend the Criminal Code THE HILL and the Canada Labour Code” was deemed a priority as it contained a provision to provide 10 days of paid sick leave in federally regulated workplaces. In a majority situation, a sitting government always has parliamentary tools available such as “closure” and “time allocation” to essentially force a bill
Publisher Theresa Arnold publisher@merrittherald.com 250-378-4241
MERRITT HERALD
through Parliament. However, in a minority Parliament where a sitting government can be outvoted by the opposition parties, it becomes trickier for the government to pass a bill. This is often where backroom deals and agreements are made between the government and one or more opposition parties. In the case of Bill C-3, in the effort to reach an agreement between the government and the official opposition, a different approach was used. In this case my Conservative colleague, MP Scott Aitchison from Parry Sound-Muskoka, proposed amending Bill C-3 to include a proposed Conservative MPs private members bill that would provide bereavements benefits to parents who have lost a child. This Private Members Bill was authored by MP Tom Kmiec from Calgary- Shepard who, in 2018 sadly experienced the loss of a child and proposed this
Editor Jake Courtepatte newsroom@merrittherald.com 250-378-4241
bill to help other parents in this tragic situation. For this proposal from MP Scott Aitchison to work, it required support from the Liberal Government. On that note Liberal Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan from St. John’s South-Mount Pearl, was the champion on moving this important proposal forward within the Liberal Government. Ultimately this agreement reached between the government and the official opposition helped pave the way for Bill C-3 to have an expediated passage through Parliament. Subsequently the Senate has also now passed Bill C-3 and this bill has received royal assent. The reason I have shared this experience is because it is an important example of our Canadian Parliament working together to benefit Canadians. As MP Aitchison pointSee ‘PARLIAMENT’ Page 7 ed out “no parent should
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