As a new week begins, there are a lot of reasons to keep an eye on what is happening on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
Bill C-49, the Transportation Act, is through the Senate and is on its way back to the House of Commons, where MPs will vote on amendments proposed by senators. This bill has a number of components, including a passengers’ bill of rights. It also deals with regulation and direction of the railways with respect to the movement of commodities, including grain. That’s been the subject of a lot of debate this winter.
“We can’t have 40 ships sitting off the port of Vancouver, waiting to come to the dock for grain that hasn’t yet been delivered by the railways,” federal agriculture minister, Lawrence MacAulay, told me.
Bill C-45, the Cannabis Act, is presently in committee in the Senate. Senators are to vote on the bill on June 7th. The federal government had hoped to have the legislation in place by Canada Day, July 1st. That’s unlikely to happen. A lot of senators are taking up the concerns of medical authorities, chiefs of police, and others who suggest that a lot of work needs to be done before the recreational use of marijuana can, or should, be legalized.