The fall session of the House of Commons concluded after Thursday’s question period, signaling the start of a six-week holiday recess for Members of Parliament. Despite some pending legislative matters, including the government’s budget implementation act, Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed satisfaction with the House’s functionality in passing bills. The House only managed to approve four bills this session, with two key bills, C-12 and C-4, receiving third reading approval before adjournment.
MPs exchanged season’s greetings as they departed, but tensions arose as both the Liberals and Conservatives engaged in finger-pointing over the session’s proceedings. Conservative House leader Andrew Scheer criticized the Liberals for delays and lack of collaboration on affordability issues, while Liberal House leader Steven MacKinnon blamed the Conservatives for obstructing progress.
A notable point of contention was the House justice committee’s prolonged study of Bill C-9, known as the Combatting Hate Act, with disagreements over a recent Bloc Québécois amendment. The committee remained deadlocked, with Conservative MPs proposing a shift in focus to the Liberals’ bail reform bill without success.
The session’s end leaves unresolved issues, with MPs set to reconvene on January 26 in Ottawa.