MPs ‘making good progress’ towards adjourning House as early as today: Holland

Talks between parties are heading in a “positive” direction, that could see the House of Commons rise as early as later today, Government House Leader Mark Holland said Wednesday afternoon.

Speaking to reporters on his way out of a Liberal caucus meeting, Holland indicated cautious optimism about MPs “winding down this session of Parliament” and heading quickly towards their summer break.

“We’re having good conversations with the opposition parties about the possibility of wrapping up… but those conversations are ongoing at this point,” Holland said. “There’s the option of us going to Friday, there’s the option of concluding tonight, there’s the option of concluding tomorrow.”

The House is scheduled to rise for a two-month hiatus as of Friday, but it’s very common that all sides can come together to agree on breaking a day or two early.

Holland said that the House has been “making good progress” on the list of Liberal priority pieces of legislation and that right now talks to wrap up are “very positive” but, not solidified.

In May when Holland announced MPs would be holding midnight sittings nearly every night for the rest of the session in order to move the government’s agenda through, he identified nine pieces of legislation that needed to pass before Parliament could adjourn.

After a few votes following question period, the Liberals are poised to have passed all but two of those priority pieces of legislation through the House, leaving just a few key bills—including the budget implementation legislation—before the Senate, which is scheduled to sit until the end of the month.

A unanimous consent motion to adjourn early could include conditions such as ensuring any outstanding priority business for various parties is expedited through any remaining stages.

“I expect that in a very short order we’ll have more to say,” Holland said.

One of the biggest outstanding questions is just how late it could be tonight that MPs do agree to wrap up. Holding the power over that, may end up being Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, who has previously said his caucus is prepared to work “all summer long.”

In one last show of Official Opposition resistance to the federal government’s fiscal management, the Conservatives have put on notice more than 200 votes opposing specific spending items within the main and supplementary estimates.

It remains to be seen if after this afternoon’s debate on their final opposition day motion—calling on the government to make a plan to balance the budget—whether they move to force what could become an overnight vote-a-thon. 

While it’s a tactic that has been deployed before, it would be the first attempt of this magnitude under the electronic voting system and under the Liberal-NDP supply-and-confidence deal. 

Asked if he’s bracing for a late night of votes, Chief Government Whip Steve MacKinnon told reporters he hopes not.

“We all need our sleep,” MacKinnon said. “We’ve got a lot to get through and we hope we can get through it… If not, tomorrow. If not, the next day.”