CTF Calls on Senate to Sit Until the Work is Done

OTTAWA, ON: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) today called on the Senate to continue sitting until they have worked their way through outstanding legislation sent to them by the House of Commons.

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“Senators need to continue working on several pieces of legislation, including Bills C-377 and C-518. These are important bills passed by the House of Commons – the latter nearly unanimously – and the Senate has an obligation to either pass them into law, or be accountable for defeating them,” said CTF Federal Director Aaron Wudrick. “Simply deciding to go on vacation in order to dodge a vote on them is unacceptable, especially when there is no compelling reason for the Senate to rise just because the House of Commons has risen.” Wudrick noted that there is historical precedent for the Senate to sit well into July, including in 2005 when the Senate sat until July 20th, and 2010 when it sat until July 12th. “As the lower house has moved into de-facto campaign mode, the Senate – unaffected as it is by such vulgarities as elections – should continue its supposedly sober secondary scrutizination of the bills before it,” said Wudrick.

Bill C-377 – An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act (Requirement for Labour Organizations) – would impose new financial reporting requirements on organized labour. It was passed by the House of Commons on December 13, 2012 by a vote of 147 to 135. Bill C-518 – the Protecting Taxpayers from Convicted Politicians Act – would strip the taxpayer-funded portion of pensions from parliamentarians convicted of certain crimes. It was passed by the House of Commons on February 4, 2015 by a vote of 258-13.