Liveblog: Omnibudget all-nighter at Finance committee
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As promised/threatened -- and, I might add, predicted in yesterday's OotD -- the Finance committee is now officially in marathon mode.
Voting on the omnibudget bill started at midnight and continued until 6am, at which point the chair suspended the meeting until noon today.
The stats so far, courtesy of a helpful staffer: 519 recorded votes so far, 3,159 to go, which, at the current rate, means the omnibudget won't be reported back to the House until Friday at the earliest -- and even that may not avert an all-nighter in the Commons.
In what was almost certainly an attempt to avoid the scenario I laid out earlier this week, government members used their majority muscle to overturn a ruling by Conservative chair James Rajotte in order to ensure that all 3,000+ amendments tabled at committee would be defeated, rather than allowing him to follow his interpretation of the time allocation, which would have had him call only the remaining clauses, leaving hundreds of amendments in procedural limbo.
Rajotte was even prepared to give members the opportunity to withdraw amendments that hadn't yet come up during debate, but that, too, appeared to meet with the displeasure of the government side.
That move will almost certainly prompt the Liberals to request that the speaker restore the
original ruling -- which, for the record, he can do if he agrees that the chair was correct -- which could open the door to every one of those amendments being reintroduced in the House.
All of which is to say ... stay tuned to the liveblog for breaking news on the procedural battlefront.by kady o'malley via twitter edited by Kady O'Malley 11/21/2012 8:20:20 PM -
Greetings from #FINA, where the omnibudget clause-by-clause review is about to get underway!by kady o'malley via twitter 11/21/2012 8:31:13 PM -
The presence of steam trays at the back of the room does not bode well for an early end to tonight's meeting. #FINAby kady o'malley via twitter 11/21/2012 8:33:00 PM -
There will also be 30 minute break when the government moves to shut down the NDP concurrence motion debate underway in the Commons. #FINAby kady o'malley via twitter 11/21/2012 8:34:19 PM -
RT @ElizabethMay: @kady #FINA. 54 officials? If it wasn't for their hard-line midnight end you might be looking at breakfast trays. #C45by kady o'malley via twitter 11/21/2012 8:35:37 PM -
The gavel has gone down, and the meeting is underway. First up: a motion from Peggy Nash to invite Flaherty to talk supp estimates! #FINAby kady o'malley via twitter 11/21/2012 8:37:31 PM -
A friendly amendment from Shelly Glover: Given the 'charged agenda', she thinks departmental officials should come instead. #FINAby kady o'malley via twitter 11/21/2012 8:38:04 PM -
So, is this a new thing? Ministers just not wanting to come to committee to talk estimates? How ... accountable. #FINAby kady o'malley via twitter 11/21/2012 8:38:32 PM -
And there go the Bells! Scott Brison denies consent to continue, so the committee is now suspended until the vote has been taken. #FINAby kady o'malley via twitter 11/21/2012 8:39:54 PM -
When they return, the committee will pick up where it left off -- Nash's motion to invite Flaherty to discuss the supps. #FINAby kady o'malley via twitter 11/21/2012 8:40:37 PM -
All of which is to say that #FINA should be back to #omnibudget business very soon - although possibly not for long. #hwby kady o'malley via twitter 11/21/2012 9:17:03 PM -
Alright, back at #FINA awaiting the return of MPs and the start of debate -- along with six rows of civil servants.by kady o'malley via twitter 11/21/2012 9:20:15 PM -
Alright, #FINA is back on the clock ... but *for how long*? (Answer: Dunno. Just keep listening for bells.) #hwby kady o'malley via twitter 11/21/2012 9:25:59 PM -
In any case, Glover's proposal to have unnamed official appear on the minister's behalf is not being welcomed by the opposition. #FINAby kady o'malley via twitter 11/21/2012 9:26:57 PM -
Oddly, none of the opposition MPs seem terribly persuaded by the argument that the finance minister is really *busy*, you guys. #FINAby kady o'malley via twitter 11/21/2012 9:28:54 PM -
The word "shirk" has been used, although only in the sense that it is surely something the minister would never want to do. #FINAby kady o'malley via twitter 11/21/2012 9:29:23 PM -
Alright, so now we get the full story: apparently, the minister is busy every single day between now and the end of the sitting. #FINAby kady o'malley via twitter 11/21/2012 9:30:02 PM -
And there go the Bells! Again! Isn't this fun? #FINAby kady o'malley via twitter 11/21/2012 9:30:13 PM -


Waiting for #omnibudget debate. Behold your departmental officials, Canadians! #FINA #hw p.twimg.com/A8QYGt8CAAAguV8.jpg
by kady o'malley via twitter 11/21/2012 9:44:02 PM -
Motion defeated! Back to concurrence debate for the Commons, and back to #FINA for me. (There will be Still More Bells at 5:30.) #hwby kady o'malley via twitter 11/21/2012 10:09:57 PM -
I just realized the poor departmental officials likely have no idea what's going on outside this room. #FINAby kady o'malley via twitter 11/21/2012 10:11:50 PM -
They're starting to sound a wee bit cranky, though. (Not that I blame them.) #FINAby kady o'malley via twitter 11/21/2012 10:13:07 PM -
And for a third time, #FINA is now in order! Shelly Glover moves to adjourn the discussion on the amendment, and go to a vote.by kady o'malley via twitter 11/21/2012 10:15:46 PM -
She would, mind you, since her side can just vote down the motion to invite Flaherty, and worry about the replacement officials later. #FINAby kady o'malley via twitter 11/21/2012 10:16:29 PM -
Ah, okay -- Glover doesn't want to vote, she just wants to move onto the next item of business: #omnibudget clause-by-clause review! #FINAby kady o'malley via twitter 11/21/2012 10:18:54 PM -
In a process likely to be repeated many, many times this evening, the Conservatives win the vote, 6-5. Now, to the Nash motion! #FINAby kady o'malley via twitter 11/21/2012 10:20:36 PM -
Shelly Glover, meanwhile, moves *another* motion to adjourn debate, which carries. Onto the clause-by-clause review! #FINAby kady o'malley via twitter 11/21/2012 10:24:11 PM -
Nearly two hours late but moving fast. #FINAby kady o'malley via twitter 11/21/2012 10:24:36 PM -
#FINA Chair James Rajotte reminds the committee of the rules of engagement (5 mins per party per clause, midnight deadline).by kady o'malley via twitter 11/21/2012 10:26:12 PM -
Rajotte also confirms that not a single committee has forwarded any recommended amendments, although he *does* have one from Hedy Fry. #FINAby kady o'malley via twitter 11/21/2012 10:26:58 PM -
Oh, Conservative MP Brian Jean has a point of order! He seems to think the MP has to vote on every amendment, not just every clause. #FINAby kady o'malley via twitter 11/21/2012 10:29:23 PM -
Jean notes his motion supports fairness and due process -- more participation, not less - and he's challenging the chair, even! #FINAby kady o'malley via twitter 11/21/2012 10:30:46 PM -
Rajotte rather genially disagrees with his interpretation, but -- oh, and there go the Bells. #FINAby kady o'malley via twitter 11/21/2012 10:31:23 PM -
And now, another 30 minute break. Isn't this fun? #FINAby kady o'malley via twitter 11/21/2012 10:31:54 PM -
Okay, SO I think I've figured out why Brian Jean wants to make sure the committee votes on every amendment at #FINA.by kady o'malley via twitter 11/21/2012 10:48:00 PM -
He doesn't want the opposition to be able to submit those amendments at report stage, and if they're defeated, it's harder to do that. #FINAby kady o'malley via twitter 11/21/2012 10:48:21 PM -
BUT to make that happen, the Conservatives have to vote to overturn the chair, and that's risky. #FINAby kady o'malley via twitter 11/21/2012 10:48:38 PM -
The speaker could determine those votes were not valid, as the chair's ruling was correct, and deem the report not tabled. #FINAby kady o'malley via twitter 11/21/2012 10:49:06 PM -
(I've actually seen that happen when the government insisted on putting a study before the wrong committee.) #FINAby kady o'malley via twitter 11/21/2012 10:49:27 PM -
SCHEDULING NOTE: As noted earlier, I'm not going to liveblog the full debate -- in fact, I fully intended to head out after the first two hours, but after all those delays, I figure I should probably stick around to make sure they do eventually make it to clause-by-clause review. Don't worry, I'll be checking in regularly -- and I'll definitely be watching at midnight when the mini vote-a-thon is scheduled to begin. -
Meanwhile, the mood back at #FINA has taken on an almost festive tone as dozens of senior departmental officials mingle.by kady o'malley via twitter 11/21/2012 11:47:41 PM -
It's like an awkward office Christmas party, only with no liquor and the possibility of being called forth to testify under oath. #FINAby kady o'malley via twitter 11/21/2012 11:48:23 PM -
For the fourth (!) time today, Chairman Rajotte gavels #FINA into order, just in time for the chair's ruling to be challenged.by kady o'malley via twitter 11/21/2012 11:53:43 PM -
Rajotte reads the relevant section in O'Brien and Bosc, and notes that MPs will be allowed to withdraw motions if he's overturned. #FINAby kady o'malley via twitter 11/21/2012 11:55:06 PM -
Nash asks for clarification: Does this mean all are deemed moved *now*? Yup, that's the Jean interpretation. (The chair disagrees.) #FINAby kady o'malley via twitter 11/21/2012 11:55:55 PM
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