Parliament set to hold an 11th hour vote on $21B spending bill

OTTAWA — Members of Parliament are set to vote on a government bill asking for billions in funding as the clock ticks down on a deadline.

Last month, the Liberals made a request for Parliament to approve $21.6 billion in spending.

The money will go to fund the First Nations child and family services program, and to compensate the Quebec government for services for asylum seekers, among other programs.

But there had been uncertainty over whether the vote would even happen before today’s deadline.

Parliament has been paralyzed for months as the Conservatives press the Liberals to hand over documents relating to hundreds of millions of dollars of misspending on a green-tech fund.

The issue is the focus of an ongoing privilege debate, which the Conservatives have pledged to keep going until they get what they want.

Privilege matters take precedence over nearly all other House affairs, so government business has not been proceeding.

But in a ruling last week, citing House of Commons rules and procedures, Speaker Greg Fergus said he would exercise his authority to pause the privilege debate, so that the vote on government spending can proceed.

Supplementary appropriation bills have to be voted on by Dec. 10, or the government wouldn’t have authority to spend additional money.

The debate is set to happen late tonight, and the spending might not go to a vote until Wednesday morning. Per new procedure rules adopted back in February, the government can suspend a sitting day at midnight, pausing proceedings until 9 a.m. the following day if debate on a supply bill isn’t finished.

“Oh gosh, I don’t want to predetermine anything. I don’t want to tempt fate or the universe,” government House leader Karina Gould told reporters Monday on how she thinks the vote might paly out.

“I’m looking forward to having the vote. There’s a lot of really good things in there for Canadians, and it’s important we get this done. This is what Parliament is here for.”

Among other asks in the bill is $561 million for the Department of National Defence for its Canadian multi-mission aircraft project.

“This funding is needed now for quarterly payment under the delivery plan we have with the United States government for the acquisition of up to 16 P-8A Poseidon aircraft,” a department spokesperson said in a statement.

The purchase of the P-8A Poseidons are to replace Canada’s current maritime patrol aircraft, the CP-140 Aurora, which has been in service for more than 40 years.

“We are expecting first delivery of the aircraft in 2026,” a department spokesperson said.

The First Nations child and family services program ask is for $955.2 million, which Indigenous Services Canada says is “to ensure continued compliance with Canadian Human Rights Tribunal orders and allow the continued delivery of supports. The money for the Quebec asylum seekers is a $581.3 million request through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

All three departments said none of those asks are for money which has already been spent. If the funds aren’t approved, IRCC said it might look to dip into government contingency funds to repay the province, while DND said it could encounter problems meeting contractual obligations and keeping the projects on track.

The outcome of the vote, however, is all but a foregone conclusion. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh told reporters last week his party would vote the supplementary estimates through, since there’s additional money for the government’s new dental care program – $317 million worth.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 10, 2024.

Nick Murray, The Canadian Press