Ottawa

It turns out that omnibus budget bills can be split

The Conservatives and the opposition parties unanimously agreed this morning to split MP pension reforms from the omnibus budget bill and pass the separate legislation.

Here is the text of the motion, moved by Conservative MP Lynne Yelich, that split C-45.

That the House recognize that the provisions of Bill C-45 dealing with Members’ pensions should be enacted as quickly as possible, and passed without further debate;

That Bill C-45, A second Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on March 29, 2012 and other measures, be divided into two bills: Bill C-45, A second Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on March 29, 2012 and other measures, and Bill C-46, An Act to amend the Members of Parliament Retiring Allowances Act; and

That Bill C-46 be composed of

(a) clauses 475 to 514 of Bill C-45, as it is presently composed,

(b) a clause, inserted before all of the other clauses, to provide that “This Act may be cited as the Pension Reform Act”, and

(c) a clause, inserted after all of the other clauses, to provide that “This Act comes into force, or is deemed to have come into force, on January 1, 2013.”;

That Bill C-46 be deemed to have been read the second time and deemed referred to a Committee of the Whole, deemed reported without amendment, deemed concurred in at report stage and deemed read the third time and passed; 

That Bill C-45 be composed of its remaining clauses; 

That Bill C-45 retain the status on the Order Paper that it had prior to the adoption of this Order;

That the Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel be authorized to make any technical changes or corrections as may be necessary; and 

That Bills C-45 and C-46 be reprinted.

The Liberals suggested this last month and when Bob Rae raised it yesterday, the Prime Minister expressed something like interest in the proposal.

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