LIVE: MPs in marathon debate on Canada Post bill
Members of Parliament remain locked in debate early Friday over legislation that would send Canada Post employees back to work and end a lockout. MPs were to supposed to leave Ottawa on Thursday to head home for the summer, but instead pulled overnight shifts in the House of Commons debating Bill C-6, which was introduced earlier in the week.
Opposition MPs made lengthy speeches throughout the night designed to delay passage of the bill. As a new day began Friday, members continued to take turns filling their seats in the House. Prime Minister Stephen Harper entered shortly after 7 a.m. ET, taking a brief turn at helping to maintain quorum in the chamber after spending the night in his Parliament Hill office, as so many other MPs did.
Later Friday, Harper will travel to Thetford Mines, Que., for St-Jean-Baptiste Day, attending Fête nationale celebrations with Industry Minister Christian Paradis. Other MPs from Quebec, including the large new NDP Quebec caucus, will not be leaving the parliamentary precinct in order to sustain the filibuster.
Some MPs are mentioning Quebec's celebrations in their remarks, apologizing in some cases for their absence at what are normally high-profile events in communities across the province.
By a quirk of parliamentary procedure, the actual date in the House of Commons remains at Thursday, June 23, regardless of how many calendar days the debate continues. The Canadian Union of Postal Workers and Canada Post still are not talking, and as of Friday morning, no return to the bargaining table is planned unless something happens to end the stalemate.
The debate on Parliament Hill will continue indefinitely. No question period or other Commons business is scheduled Friday.
LIVE: MPs in marathon debate on Canada Post bill - Politics - CBC News
Members of Parliament remain locked in debate early Friday over legislation that would send Canada Post employees back to work and end a lockout. MPs were to supposed to leave Ottawa on Thursday to head home for the summer, but instead pulled overnight shifts in the House of Commons debating Bill C-6, which was introduced earlier in the week.
Opposition MPs made lengthy speeches throughout the night designed to delay passage of the bill. As a new day began Friday, members continued to take turns filling their seats in the House. Prime Minister Stephen Harper entered shortly after 7 a.m. ET, taking a brief turn at helping to maintain quorum in the chamber after spending the night in his Parliament Hill office, as so many other MPs did.
Later Friday, Harper will travel to Thetford Mines, Que., for St-Jean-Baptiste Day, attending Fête nationale celebrations with Industry Minister Christian Paradis. Other MPs from Quebec, including the large new NDP Quebec caucus, will not be leaving the parliamentary precinct in order to sustain the filibuster.
Some MPs are mentioning Quebec's celebrations in their remarks, apologizing in some cases for their absence at what are normally high-profile events in communities across the province.
By a quirk of parliamentary procedure, the actual date in the House of Commons remains at Thursday, June 23, regardless of how many calendar days the debate continues. The Canadian Union of Postal Workers and Canada Post still are not talking, and as of Friday morning, no return to the bargaining table is planned unless something happens to end the stalemate.
The debate on Parliament Hill will continue indefinitely. No question period or other Commons business is scheduled Friday.
LIVE: MPs in marathon debate on Canada Post bill - Politics - CBC News
