Liberals move to speed up legislation before summer recess

With only days left before the House of Commons rises for the summer, the Liberal government is pushing to advance priority bills before MPs return in the fall. The move has drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties, which say the government is limiting debate and using its majority too aggressively. Over the past month, the Liberals have repeatedly used time allocation motions to set deadlines for bills, including legislation tied to the spring economic update and a lawful access bill. They have also used their numbers to move more quickly through routine proceedings, a strategy the government says is needed to keep its agenda moving. Opposition MPs from the Conservatives, Bloc Québécois, Green Party and NDP argue the pace leaves too little room for scrutiny and amendments. Liberal ministers, meanwhile, say endofsession legislative rushes are normal and accuse opponents of creating delays at a typical point in the parliamentary calendar.