The government is defending the expedited passage of its lawful access legislation Bill C-22, fending off criticism that the consequential bill required more thorough consideration.
The majority Liberal government passed the bill through the House of Commons on June 18, using a procedural motion to jointly move several pieces of legislation before Parliament adjourns for the summer.
The Conservatives had repeatedly requested that Bill C-22 be split into two parts, recommending the first part of the bill focused on additional law enforcement tools be passed, with the more contentious second part focused on metadata retention being studied further.
The Liberals opposed the proposal, and instead tabled a motion to expedite passage of the bill by limiting the Public Safety committee’s clause-by-clause review and MP debate. After passing the House, the bill is now headed to the Senate….