Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he wanted a more independent Senate, and he’s getting it in spades now.
On Wednesday, the Senate Liberal leader hammered Trudeau over the government’s omnibus budget bill, saying the prime minister has abandoned his election pledge and that senators would be “abdicating” their duty if they passed it without amendments.
“The more I examine this omnibus budget bill, the more questions I have,” said Sen. Joseph Day, who was appointed by Jean Chrétien in 2001 and leads the group of Senate Liberals. (In 2013, as part of his effort to shape an independent Senate, Trudeau released the Liberals from his caucus.)
“This government has evidently abandoned its election promise to end the practice of omnibus bills,” he said, comparing the 308-page bill to a Russian nesting doll for the way it enacts multiple new statutes within it.
“While that may be fun in a doll, it is no way to present legislation for proper study.”
In his half-hour speech in the Senate chamber, Day particularly focused on the sections of the bill that contain “escalator” clauses on the alcohol excise tax and a raft of government service fees. It means they would rise each year automatically at the rate of inflation, which Day said violates the principle that Parliament must review and approve such increases.
“It is the quiet — one might say stealthy — removal of Parliament’s oversight of government,” Day said.
“It is appropriate that (the increase) would take place on April Fools Day, because if we agree to this, we will have been hoodwinked into agreeing to give up one of our most fundamental obligations as parliamentarians.”
As he wrapped up, Day blasted the government for another provision that he said gives power to cabinet to borrow without the oversight of Parliament.
“Parliamentarians certainly have the procedural and legal authority to abdicate ever more of their oversight responsibilities, but I for one am profoundly disappointed that this government has decided to ask that we do so,” he said. “This is not what I was expecting of the government.”
The speech comes as the government has been pressuring senators to pass the budget bill by the summer recess.
Independent Sen. André Pratte has put forward a motion to split off a section that sets up the Canada Infrastructure Bank, saying the creation of a large new financial agency should not be tucked away inside an omnibus bill and requires more study. The government is seeking to have that motion ruled out of order.
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