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Bills, business highlight whirlwind week as MPs prepare for summer break

The abbreviated spring session that began May 26 is set to wrap this Friday — maybe

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OTTAWA — Welcome to the home stretch.

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With the House of Commons expected to rise at the end of this week after an abbreviated spring session, a number of bills and government business remains before members head home until the fall.

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The Commons official calendar lists June 20 as the last day of the current session, but parliamentarians who spoke with the Toronto Sun say the sitting may be extended.

Word on that won’t be known until later this week — possibly before the party caucus meetings on Wednesday, according to sources.

Three bills dominate the order paper — C-2, C-3 and C-5 — but the House must also approve the government’s main estimates by the end of the week, the government’s half-trillion dollar spending plan quietly tabled during last month’s royal visit.

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Bill C-2, the government’s heavily anticipated border bill, passed first reading two weeks ago and is in midst of second reading.

Bill C-3, whihc would extend Canadian citizen entitlement by descent beyond the first generation, is also in second reading but has so far seen no debate in the House.

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Both bills are expected to be debated this week.

Bill C-4, the government’s affordability legislation, passed second reading last Thursday and is currently before the House Finance Committee — which is scheduled to select its chair on Monday.

The government’s crown jewel legislation, however, is Bill C-5, which passed first reading two weeks ago and is the subject of an acceleration motion tabled in the House on Friday, debated on Monday.

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If passed, that motion would set aside two days for consideration by the House Transport, Infrastructure and Communities committee on Tuesday and Wednesday.

That would result in the committee’s report being tabled in the House on Friday, paving the way for the bill to pass third reading and sent to the Senate, who aren’t waiting for the House to wrap debate.

The Senate’s Monday order paper lists numerous cabinet minister appearances on Monday — including Transport Minister Chrystia Freeland and Intergovernmental Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc at 2 p.m. to discuss C-5, and later Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne to answer questions on C-4 at 7 p.m.

As well, Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux will appear before the Senate Finance Committee at 6 p.m. Monday to answer questions on the main estimates.

The House of Commons is set to begin its fall session on Sept.15.

bpassifiume@postmedia.com
X: @bryanpassifiume

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