Washington | Reuters — The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday backed a new trade agreement with neighbouring Mexico and Canada in a 385-41 bipartisan vote, sending the NAFTA replacement measure to the Senate for consideration early in 2020. Democrats, who control the House, approved the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (CUSMA) more than a year after […] Read more
Tag Archives house of commons — page 2
U.S. House passes CUSMA
Central Ontario MP named parliamentary ag secretary
A former Belleville, Ont. mayor will now play a backup role to the federal agriculture minister in the House of Commons. Neil Ellis, the Liberal MP for the Bay of Quinte constituency in central Ontario since 2015, was named Thursday as parliamentary secretary for the minister of agriculture and agri-food, Marie-Claude Bibeau. Ellis was a […] Read more
Canada could be last to ratify CUSMA deal, Trudeau says
Ottawa | Reuters — Canada could be the last of the three North American countries to ratify a new trade deal, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Tuesday, indicating that his plan to match the U.S. timetable was set to fail. Trudeau’s Liberal government said from the start it wanted to work in tandem with […] Read more
Opinion: Why political committees matter
Capital Letters: Canadian farmers share their stories about struggles with mental health
Most people think that the most important part of Parliament Hill is the House of Commons. After all, Question Period is broadcast daily. Clips of ministers and members of Parliament in the House of Commons foyer are regularly aired on television. For journalists on Parliament Hill, the daily scrums are a regular part the day. […] Read more
OPINION: As Parliament closes for summer break, uncertainty dominates
It’s been a long haul. MPs wrapped up their last midnight sittings and headed home to their ridings for the summer. The last official sitting day was June 22. Bill C-45 is at the heart of the government’s promise to legalize cannabis, while Bill C-46 deals with impaired driving. Both bills passed just before the […] Read more
Senate approves recreational use of marijuana
Toronto | Reuters — Canada’s upper house of Parliament on Tuesday approved a revised bill to legalize recreational marijuana, setting the stage for the country to become the first Group of Seven nation to legalize cannabis. The Senate voted 52-29 in favour of the revised bill from the House of Commons, paving the way for […] Read more
OPINION: Giving young people a chance to understand policy
Capital Letters with Kelsey Johnson
Most days, Parliament Hill is buzzing with political activities where party politics and issues of the day dominate the corridor conversation. On a recent Saturday, the focus shifted to a more behind-the-scenes group of individuals who help keep Parliament running smoothly. More than 400 former and current House of Commons pages reunited in Ottawa to […] Read more
Recreational marijuana sales in Canada face fresh delays
Ottawa | Reuters — The sale of legalized recreational marijuana in Canada, which has already been pushed back once beyond the planned July start date, is set to be delayed even further, government officials said Thursday. The ruling Liberals are sparring with the upper Senate chamber, where a draft law is currently under review. Critics […] Read more
Consultations close on tax planning proposals
Calls from farm groups and federal opposition politicians for further consultations on a proposed overhaul of the private corporation tax system have been shut down in the House of Commons. A motion Tuesday from Ontario Tory MP Pierre Poilievre, vice-chair of the Commons finance committee, calling for consultations to continue beyond their Monday deadline through […] Read more
No emergency debate on CWB sale
Members of Parliament won’t be having a debate on the sale of the former Canadian Wheat Board anytime soon. Andrew Scheer, speaker of the House of Commons, on Monday rejected the request from Pat Martin, the New Democrats’ MP for Winnipeg Centre, for an emergency debate on CWB’s planned sale of a 50.1 per cent […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
