Conservatives poised to pass budget bill
Final reading set for Wednesday
OTTAWA — Public sector pension reforms, a small-business hiring credit, a new electronic travel authorization system, judges’ pay raises and streamlined environmental protection for lakes and rivers are a handful of the measures set to be adopted in the Conservative government’s budget bill.
Eight months after the federal government introduced its 2012 budget, MPs were expected to vote for up to eight consecutive hours late into Tuesday night on proposed opposition party changes to the government’s second budget implementation legislation, Bill C-45.
More than 1,600 opposition amendments to the bill were bundled together into 47 different votes, but the Conservative government was expected to use its majority to defeat all of the proposed changes from its political opponents.
The 414-page budget bill faces one more day of debate, and third and final reading in the House of Commons on Wednesday, before it’s sent to the Conservative-controlled Senate.
The budget bill contains a number of economic, social and environmental changes the government believes are important. But the legislation, and the fact the government continues to stuff hundreds of these changes into one sweeping bill, has sparked concerns from the NDP, Liberals, Bloc Quebecois and Green party.
“When you’re facing a bully there’s a few options you have, but just simply backing down is not usually a good one because the bully will only be back for more the next day,” NDP House leader Nathan Cullen said Tuesday, explaining his party’s fight against Bill C-45.
The budget bill contains major changes to the federal employee pension plan (reforms to MPs’ pensions were included in separate spinoff legislation).
Under the changes, public servants will see their contributions rise to 50 per cent (from 37 per cent today) with the government covering the other half. The contribution rates for the RCMP (now at 35 per cent) and the military (31 per cent) will also increase to 50 per cent.
As well, all new federal workers who join the public service starting in 2013 will see the normal age of their pensionable retirement rise to 65 from 60.
The federal government expects the changes to public sector pensions will save taxpayers almost $2.6 billion over five years.
While the NDP supported increasing contributions to 50 per cent for MP pension plans, the party opposes the government’s public sector pension reforms, saying the “over-generous” retirement benefits for parliamentarians are completely different from what’s offered to government workers. The official Opposition also would have preferred the government negotiate the changes with unions, rather than ram it through in legislation.
Treasury Board president Tony Clement said the bill has received plenty of scrutiny at 11 House of Commons committees and it’s time for the government to act.
“We have a parliamentary process which we respect, but at the same time Canadians require us to come to conclusions and make decisions. That is our mandate and we will continue with that,” Clement told reporters Tuesday.