The suitcases of federal deputies were ready to escape the oppressive heat of Ottawa after an eventful session from which all parties judged to emerge victorious. A motion adopted unanimously on Wednesday sees them take the road outside the capital.
The Liberal leader in the House, Gatineau MP Steven MacKinnon, was pleased to have passed 15 bills since January, making his government “one of the most productive minority governments” in recent history. Like every end of session, he claims that conservative obstruction prevented him from doing more.
Above all, his government has now fulfilled virtually the entire list of promises contained in its agreement concluded with the New Democratic Party (NDP) two years ago. In theory, this agreement must still hold for another year, in order to keep Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in power until the fall of 2025.
The bill to ban strikebreakers for businesses under federal jurisdiction was adopted by the Senate this week. The one that promises to make contraceptives and diabetes medications free is in the final stages of its examination by senators, who are expected to leave Ottawa later this week.
Under his agreement with the NDP, his government still has to adopt a law on national standards in CHSLDs in the coming year, recalls Mr. MacKinnon. The federal dental care program must also be extended to more categories of the less fortunate population, recalls Quebec NDP MP Alexandre Boulerice.
“There are important things that we managed to accomplish thanks to our balance of power in our negotiations,” he says with satisfaction.
“Extraordinary session” for oppositions
The Bloc Québécois also claims to have experienced an “extraordinary session”, the success of which is “recognized in public opinion”, boasted its leader, Yves-François Blanchet, on Wednesday.
His party notably tabled a reform of the Old Age Security Act, a bill to protect whistleblowers and another to protect the management of the dairy supply during trade negotiations.
Yves-François Blanchet admits to having “laughed a little” when the Prime Minister of Quebec questioned the relevance of his party during an exchange in the National Assembly. François Legault said to his PQ opponent Paul St-Pierre Plamondon in February: “What is the point of the Bloc? »
“François wanted to pinch Paul, it took this form, [mais] no one serious doubts our usefulness. It was a heated moment,” recalled Mr. Blanchet, without rancor.
Even if the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada did not deliver a speech at the end of the session, contrary to his usual, Pierre Poilievre received new confirmation of his large lead in the national polls. An Abacus Data poll, conducted at the beginning of June among 1,550 respondents, places his party 20 points ahead of Justin Trudeau’s Liberals (42% against 22%).
The Conservatives ended the session with news that the Liberal government agreed to list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Canada’s list of terrorist entities, one of their long-standing demands. They have devoted the last few days to following the Liberal government on its plan to increase the inclusion rate of the capital gains tax for those who declare the most, and by vehemently opposing the protection decree woodland caribou in Quebec.