PoliticsMPs rose with some key pieces of legislation still working their way through the House, most notably the government’s budget implementation act.2 bills pass third reading on Thursday, members back in Ottawa Jan. 26Darren Major · CBC News · Posted: Dec 11, 2025 3:46 PM EST | Last Updated: 1 hour agoListen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.With some key pieces of legislation still working their way through the House, MPs are scheduled to be back in Ottawa Jan. 26. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)The House of Commons wrapped up the fall sitting shortly after Thursday’s question period, meaning MPs are heading back to their ridings for a six-week holiday break.MPs rose with some key pieces of legislation still working their way through the House, most notably the government’s budget implementation act.Prime Minister Mark Carney said Wednesday that he wished the budget bill and some of the government’s crime legislation would be passed quickly, but suggested the House is “functioning well.””It’s a minority Parliament,” he said to reporters on Parliament Hill.”We’re making progress. Canadians rightly expect us to make a lot more progress.”The House only passed four bills this fall sitting — that includes the supplementary estimates, which need to pass every sitting to keep the government operating.MPs quickly got two bills through the third reading shortly after question period on Thursday: C-12, the government’s border security bill, and C-4, which primarily would bring the Liberals’ income tax cut officially into law. Both will now head to the Senate.The government was able to pass the “Lost Canadians” legislation last month.MPs offer farewells and finger-pointingMPs bid farewell with holiday well-wishes — but the Liberals and Conservatives also spent the final days of the fall sitting blaming each other for gunking up proceedings in the House.Conservative House leader Andrew Scheer accused the Liberals of delaying the passing of their own legislative agenda and failing to work with other parties to tackle affordability concerns.”For the past few weeks and months, we’ve seen all kinds of procedural tricks and games that Liberals have played that has had the effect of holding up their own agenda,” Scheer said Wednesday.”It might be that after 10 years of government, they are still not very good at governing.”WATCH | Liberal House leader says Opposition delays, obstructs and obfuscates:Liberals have ‘extended the hand of co-operation across the aisle repeatedly,’ says government House leaderLiberal House leader Steven MacKinnon, speaking to reporters on Parliament Hill on Thursday as the fall sitting wrapped up, is asked what his party needs to do to make Parliament work better.But government House leader Steven MacKinnon pointed the finger back at Conservatives.”I thought that the times called out for greater seriousness and we’ve been systematically disappointed over the fall,” MacKinnon told reporters on Thursday.”We believe that this Parliament can work, should work, but unfortunately there is a part of the Conservative caucus that views obstruction as a good day for them.”Much of the contention in the past week has revolved around the House justice committee which has been stuck in an ongoing study of the Liberals’ Bill C-9 — dubbed the Combatting Hate Act.Earlier this week, the Liberals backed a Bloc Québécois amendment that would remove a religious exemption from Canada’s hate speech laws.The Conservatives have largely opposed the bill in general, but have aggressively called out the amendment and have filibustered the committee since it was added on Tuesday.Conservative MPs have proposed dropping the study of C-9 for now and instead push the Liberals’ bail reform bill, where they believe there is more common ground, to the House — but that suggestion failed to get the necessary unanimous approval of the justice committee.The committee suspended its proceedings on Thursday still in a deadlock. MPs are scheduled to be back in Ottawa to resume sitting on Jan. 26.ABOUT THE AUTHORDarren Major is a senior writer for CBC’s parliamentary bureau in Ottawa. He previously worked as a digital reporter for CBC Ottawa and a producer for CBC’s Power & Politics. He holds a master’s degree in journalism and a bachelor’s degree in public affairs and policy management, both from Carleton University. He also holds master’s degree in arts from Queen’s University. He can be reached at darren.major@cbc.ca.With files from The Canadian Press
MPs break for the holidays with 4 bills passing House in fall sitting
