Good Sunday Morning!
We awaken to a world alarmingly less safe than last Sunday morning. I know we all feel it. It is not possible to focus. Israel bombs Iran. Iran will retaliate. In Gaza the humanitarian crisis escalates. In Ukraine the Russian assault increases, no doubt as Putin was humiliated by the Ukrainian drone attack on Russian bombers, jet fighters sitting on tarmacs. Russian pilots spared but bombers in flames. Then there is he who must not be named declaring war on immigrants, targeting raids and as Los Angeles residents protest to protect their peaceful neighbours being abducted – their waitresses, cooks, gardeners and labourers,. The protests predictably become targets. Trump proclaims himself the protector of law and order, while inciting violence. He does not see the irony in his January 6th celebration of violence against the peaceful transfer of power, as he calls out the National Guard against primarily peaceful protests, over the objections of California’s governor.
And then, even more unconstitutionally, he dispatches active duty Marines- soldiers to the streets of Los Angeles. Then the assassination of Democratic state representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, and shot by the same assassin – so far surviving – Minnesota state senator John Hoffman and his wife. While Trump readies his birthday military parade in Washington. And today he will join our Prime Minister at the G7 in Kananaskis Alberta…Too much all at once. How do we cope?
We have to be able to hang on to principle. To stand in solidarity with the oppressed. Coping strategies will vary. Stop watching the news? Turn off all devices? Or compartmentalize. I can only handle this much and no more. Here’s the rub. We who see the wrongs and seek to right them must stay aware and able to think and research, document and remember. To bear witness, we have to remain engaged.
And of all the bad stuff I have disgorged in the last few paragraphs, none of it touches dramatic changes underway in Canada. Last week I wrote about the appalling bill to fast track projects in the “national interest” – Bill C-5. I mentioned it was in two, quite separate parts- the first to improve labour mobility across provincial borders, and I write “no issues with that! And moved on to focus on part 2 – the national-interest projects part. Turns out there are problems with part 1. The Canadian Cancer Society is raising the alarm that in reducing inter-provincial trade barriers, C-5 could launch a “race to the bottom” on environmental and health standards. To gain quick progress in removing inter-provincial barriers, a weaker provincial standard could replace a more stringent federal standard. As is normally the case with such provisions, the Cancer Society is asking for environmental and health exemptions. I have raised these concerns in the House.
As we grappled with C-5, parts 1 and 2, I had many conversations with environmental law groups and others concerned with giving Cabinet such sweeping unilateral powers. We were trying to figure out how the process of studying the legislation would work. I was certainly prepared to see work continue over the summer. I could not imagine how else the legislation could be passed. Normal legislative process requires a debate at Second Reading and a vote. Following Second Reading, every bill goes to committee, for study. Witnesses are called, amendments prepared. Generally even with fast-tracking as under Harper, this takes weeks or months depending on the bill. But, as of last week, only one committee had been set up, the Committee on House and Procedural affairs – not where C-5 would go.
So we speculated. Adding up the stages. Once the clause by clause review of amendments has been done, those amendments are “Reported back” to the House, leading to a vote at Report Stage, and lastly, following Third Reading debate is the last step – the vote at Third Reading and then over to the Senate. In our imaginings of how much time it would take to consider C-5 we knew we had time to improve the bill. That is, after all, the job of Parliament.
On Thursday I had the shock of my life. This whole bill is to be passed at every stage, done and dusted by Friday June 20. It is called a “programming motion” and the Liberal House Leader dropped it on us on Thursday. Tuesday will be debate on Second Reading and pushed through. Tuesday at 3:30 a new committee will be set up and have two hours to study. And Wednesday all amendments are due and by midnight will be considered carried or defeated. Thursday will be Report Stage debate and vote and Friday Third Reading debate and vote. No delays. No study.
Trespassing on your patience, and knowing my Sunday Morning readers are not afraid of details, here is what the programming motion says- in total:
| No. 1 — June 11, 2025 — The Leader of the Government in the House of Commons — That, notwithstanding any standing order, special order or usual practice of the House, Bill C-5, An Act to enact the Free Trade and Labour Mobility in Canada Act and the Building Canada Act, be disposed of as follows: |
| (a) the bill be ordered for consideration at the second reading stage immediately after the adoption of this order, provided that, |
| (i) two members from each recognized party, one member from the New Democratic Party and the member from the Green Party may each speak at the said stage for not more than 10 minutes, followed by five minutes for questions and comments, |
| (ii) during consideration of the bill at second reading, the House shall not adjourn, except pursuant to a motion moved by a minister of the Crown, |
| (iii) at the conclusion of the time provided for the debate or when no member wishes to speak, whichever is earlier, all questions necessary to dispose of the second reading stage of the bill shall be put forthwith and successively, without further debate or amendment and, if a recorded division is requested, the vote shall not be deferred; |
| (b) if the bill is adopted at the second reading stage and referred to the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, |
| (i) if the report on the striking of membership of Standing and Standing Joint Committees of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs has not yet been concurred in by the House, the whip of each recognized party shall deposit with the Clerk of the House a list of their party’s members of the committee no later than the adjournment of the House on the day of the adoption of this order, |
| (ii) the committee shall meet on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, and on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, at 3:30 p.m., provided that, |
| (A) the committee shall have the first priority for the use of House resources for committee meetings, |
| (B) the committee shall meet until 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, for the election of the chair and vice-chairs, the consideration of routine motions governing its proceedings, and to gather evidence from witnesses, |
| (C) the committee meet until 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, to gather evidence from witnesses and undertake clause-by-clause consideration of the bill, |
| (D) all amendments be submitted to the clerk of the committee by noon on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, |
| (E) amendments filed by independent members shall be deemed to have been proposed during the clause-by-clause consideration of the bill, |
| (F) if the committee has not completed the clause-by-clause consideration of the bill by 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, all remaining amendments submitted to the committee shall be deemed moved, the Chair shall put the question, forthwith and successively, without further debate, on all remaining clauses and amendments submitted to the committee, as well as each and every question necessary to dispose of the clause-by-clause consideration of the bill, and the committee shall not adjourn the meeting until it has disposed of the bill, |
| (G) a member of the committee may report the bill to the House by depositing it with the Clerk of the House, who shall notify the House leaders of the recognized parties and independent members, provided that if the report is presented on Thursday, June 19, 2025, the bill shall be taken up at report stage on the next sitting day; |
| (c) the bill be ordered for consideration at report stage on Friday, June 20, 2025, provided that, |
| (i) two members from each recognized party, one member from the New Democratic Party and the member from the Green Party may each speak on report stage motions for not more than 10 minutes, followed by five minutes for questions and comments, |
| (ii) at the conclusion of the time provided for the debate or when no member wishes to speak, whichever is earlier, any proceedings before the House shall be interrupted, and in turn every question necessary for the disposal of the said stage of the bill shall be put forthwith and successively, without further debate or amendment, and, if a recorded division is requested, the vote shall not be deferred, except pursuant to Standing Order 76.1(8), |
| (iii) the bill be ordered for consideration at the third reading stage immediately after concurrence of the bill at report stage; |
| (d) when the bill is taken up at the third reading stage, pursuant to subparagraph (c)(iii) of this order, |
| (i) two members from each recognized party, one member from the New Democratic Party and the member from the Green Party may each speak at the said stage for not more than 10 minutes, followed by five minutes for questions and comments, |
| (ii) at the conclusion of the time provided for the debate or when no member wishes to speak, whichever is earlier, all questions necessary to dispose of the third reading stage of the bill shall be put forthwith and successively, without further debate or amendment, and, if a recorded division is requested, the vote shall not be deferred; |
| (e) on Friday, June 20, 2025, the House shall not adjourn until the proceedings on the bill have been completed, except pursuant to a motion moved by a minister of the Crown, provided that once proceedings have been completed, the House may then proceed to consider other business or, if it has already passed the ordinary hour of daily adjournment, the House shall adjourn to the next sitting day; and |
| (f) no motion to adjourn the debate at any stage of the said bill may be moved except by a minister of the Crown. |
At first I just couldn’t breathe. I did get to question our new Minister for Natural Resources in main estimates. Tim Hodgson has replaced Jonathan Wilkinson. He kept insisting that C-5 protected Indigenous rights and would require a “consensus,” not mentioned in the act. I am afraid he does not seem to understand the bill. And after me trying to explain it, I don’t think this was the beginning of a beautiful friendship: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4K3X6vHq_5o.
We still had debate in the House this week on other bills- like C-2 the Affordability Act which inexplicably reduces privacy rights in part 4 with amendments to the Elections Act. Those sections will enter into force in the year 2000. You read that right. The changes are retroactive to 25 years ago.
It is also hard for the media to focus. Very few reporters are looking at C-5 nor the bulldozer approach to ram it through.
And Carney has also just announced a huge increase in military spending, tied to economic development. We are shifting to a petrostate with war as an economic driver. The Trump emergency is driving significant changes in our national budgetary priorities, our psyche, to who we are as a country. And as long as Trump is the emergency, slowing down to think about it, is not in the cards.
See below for Andrew Coyne’s take. I have cut and pasted from behind the Globe and Mail pay wall. It is a solid perspective.
Until next week, pray for peace. Urge all to stand firm on international law and keep each other buoyed by shared love of this glorious creation!
My best moment this week was at my little church, St Andrews in Sidney, when Bishop Anna, riding in the bucket of the cherry picker, rose to the roof to bless the solar panels on the church hall. A solid act of community resilience!
Thanks to Rev Kelly Duncan and all at St. Andrews for the liturgy of the blessing of the solar panels!
Much love,
Elizabeth
Andrew Coyne