The Liberals’ early election call was a death sentence for several pieces of legislation with a major rural impact.
“It’s disappointing,” said Canadian Federation of Agriculture president Jack Wilkinson. “They just couldn’t fit everything in before a spring election timetable. After all the work that has been done on some of those bills, it is frustrating.”
In the rushed chaos of the last days of the Parliament last week, more than 30 pieces of legislation were not given time enough to complete debate.
In the final crush of parliamentary work, several agricultural bills did receive final-day approval and were passed into law.
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Legislation creating a new farm debt mediation service to replace farm debt review boards also made it into the books.
Legislation that didn’t make it
- For prairie farmers, the most high-profile legislative failure was the proposal to reform the Canadian Wheat Board.
Agriculture minister Ralph Goodale said he was disappointed and promised a new Liberal government would quickly reintroduce the proposals, but he also conceded there could be new dynamics and priorities in the next Parliament.
The Liberals may not be government. Even if they are, a westerner may not be minister.
But he insisted there has been enough groundwork to allow a quick restart of the wheat board debate next autumn.
- Labor Code amendments which included giving export grain special protection from third-party strikes died in the Senate after a strong last-minute lobby by big business against what it saw as pro-union proposals in other parts of the bill.
The Liberals left it so late that the Senate had to agree to give the Canada Labor Code changes quick approval if they were to make it into law. Conservative senators balked April 25 and the bill died.
- A three-year effort to forge new, stronger endangered species legislation died in the House of Commons.
Not everyone is unhappy.
The endangered species law was opposed by the Reform party and cattle producer groups as an unfair burden on landowners.
The Canadian Federation of Agriculture and some other farm groups had invested much time in the effort to ensure landowners some protection.
The federal government and the provinces had also invested time in reaching a national agreement on endangered species rules.
Environment minister Sergio Marchi has said similar legislation will be reintroduced if the Liberals are re-elected.
- Legislation allowing the commercialization and private operation of the St. Lawrence Seaway by a coalition of users also died. The transition to private operations has been under way for months, despite the delay in legislative approval.
