Liberals tout 21 bills passing House of Commons this year as MPs break for summer

Members of Parliament wrapped the springtime posing of Parliament on th and testament non return to their seats in the House of Commons until the fall.

Government House leader Steven MacKinnon hailed the sitting as an achievement, celebrating 21 government bills passing the House of Commons in the 14 weeks it sat so far this year.

"The legislation covers a range of subjects, but two themes are obviously prominent: the economy and protecting Canadians from crime," MacKinnon said in the foyer of the House of Commons.

"We have focused on these things because they are what matters to Canadians."

Some of those 21 bills were passed earlier in the sitting, while others were pushed through on Thursday by unanimous consent. 

Not all of them are yet law. Some still require consideration by the Senate, and others are simply awaiting royal assent by Gov. Gen. Louise Arbour.

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These are some of the bills that were part of the end-of-sitting business on Thursday:

Bill C-11. This legislation enshrines in law that all sexual offences involving military members must be handled exclusively by civilian courts and police, rather than the military. The bill has passed both houses and is now awaiting royal assent.

MacKinnon said the amendment added by the Senate requiring the law to be reviewed in three years was agreed to in order to end a back and forth with the Senate and get the legislation passed. 

Bill C-22. The Liberal government's lawful access legislation amends the Criminal Code giving police more powers to gather a person's private digital information during an investigation. It was also passed at third reading.

MacKinnon said the Senate will take up its study of the bill as soon as Parliament returns Sept. 21.

"We sent a very, very clear message that Canada's representatives are behind giving [law enforcement] what is the last lawful access regime [to be enacted] in the G7," he said.  

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Bill S-227. This legislation designates April as Arab Heritage Month, noting the first people of Arab origin to arrive in Canada did so in 1882. The bill, which originated in the Senate, has passed third reading in the House and is awaiting royal assent.

Ahmed Hussen, the former immigration minister, rose in the House and thanked all MPs for passing the legislation. "This is a really important bill for the community and for Canada," he said.

Bill C-30. The spring economic update outlined a number of new policies including boosting support for training in the skilled trades and banning crypto ATMs, among other measures. C-30 was adopted at third reading in the House just before 2 p.m. and was sent to the Senate.

Bill C-27. This final self-government agreement for the Tlegohli Got'ine Government Inc., in the Northwest Territories, was also passed at third reading and has been sent to the Senate.

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Bill C-29. This legislation sets up the new Financial Crimes Agency that is being designed to lead investigations into Canada's most intricate and costly financial crimes, operating under the oversight of a commissioner.

The unanimous consent motion pushed the bill through second reading and into committee where it will begin being studied by MPs when they return in the fall. 

Referencing the Liberal government's progress with Bill C-14, the Bail and Sentencing Reform Act — which received royal assent on Monday — along with Bill C-22, Bill C-27 and the government's child protection and gender-based violence legislation, Bill C-16 — now under committee consideration in the Senate — MacKinnon suggested the Conservatives are no longer the party of law and order.

"We now have a very real set of criminal justice reforms, bail, hate speech, victims' rights … and of course, giving us the last lawful access regime in the G7," the House leader said.

Mackinnon said that in contrast, the Conservatives have found themselves divided internally on the Liberals' justice agenda — putting them on the wrong side of a number of criminal justice matters. 

"In summary, it's been a very busy spring sitting," MacKinnon said. "I would like to thank all MPs for the hard work they put in and … when we all return in the fall, we'll, once again, I assure you, have a very busy legislative agenda."

The Conservatives dismissed MacKinnon's characterization of the last six months in Parliament insisting that the Liberal government has not delivered for the Canadians who voted for them. 

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"Canadians are worse off on almost every measure," Conservative deputy leader Melissa Lantsman told reporters.

"Just look at the facts. We are the only country in the G7, in the G20, in a recession that the prime minister got us into," she said.   

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Lantsman said that youth unemployment in Canada remains high, as does the cost of housing, groceries and planning for retirement. 

She also dismissed MacKinnon's suggestion that the Liberals have properly addressed the law and order file. 

"They've voted against five bills that we've introduced to make our streets safer," Lantsman said. "I ask Canadians: 'do you feel safer than you did a year ago?' and that answer is a resounding no."

Senior writer

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