Instead of facing members of the opposition between now and March, Environment Minister Jim Prentice will have the opportunity to spend more time with the civil servants in his department. On December 30, Michaëlle Jean granted Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s request to prorogue parliament.
What this means for Canada’s environment file is mixed. Since Minister Prentice will not need to prepare for Question Period until March 3, he will have more time to work with his counterparts at Environment Canada and could prepare legislation to present to parliament when it returns. He will also be able to oversee regulatory matters in the department, which don’t require parliament’s blessing.
All Government bills in both the House and Senate died with the prorogation. Parliament’s early adjournment killed bills such as Bill S-3, which called for the expansion of the government’s power to regulate under the Energy Efficiency Act. But Private Member’s bills, such as Bill C-311, are unaffected by the prorogation. That means that Bill C-311, which called for a significant reduction of Canadian greenhouse gases, is still awaiting its 3rd reading and a final vote in the House of Commons (it had previously been sent back to committee in October when Conservatives and Liberals voted against it).
It is likely that similar versions of many of the bills will be put forward again with the return of parliament, since nearly-identical versions of C-311, S-3, and others were tabled in previous sessions. What’s different will be the make-up of the Senate and Senate Committees. The appointment of more senators early this year will give the Conservatives a Senate majority, which will allow the Conservatives to stack key committees that hold strategic value for the party. It also gives the Conservative party a chance to dominate both the House and Senate should they win a majority in the next election.
By Jeff Beyer, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
