A recap of how Minister Bibeau voted during 1st session of the 44th Parliament
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
Members of Parliament returned to Ottawa Tuesday to begin the 2nd session of the 44th Parliament.
The Liberal government introduced two bills on Sept. 20 to help Canadian families.
One bill temporarily doubles the federal GST rebate while another would provide financial assistance for dental care to low- and middle-income families.
As the federal government and opposing parties prepare to debate in the House of Commons, Farms.com is looking at how one MP voted during the summer session of Parliament.
The 1st session of the 44th Parliament went from Nov. 22, 2021, to June 23, 2022.
Marie-Claude Bibeau, the MP for Compton-Stanstead and federal minister of agriculture and agri-food, voted 56 times on government, private member or Senate public bills.
The government introduced 41 bills, private members tabled 11 bills and the Senate introduced four bills.
Of the 56 votes, Minister Bibeau supported legislation 52 times, or about 93 per cent of the time.
She supported every government bill during the previous session of Parliament.
These bills included, for example, further support in response to COVID-19. She also supported Bill C-5, which would “repeal certain mandatory minimum penalties, allow for a greater use of conditional sentences and establish diversion measures for simple drug possession offences.”
Of the 11 private member bills introduced during the last session, Minister Bibeau supported seven of them.
This includes Bill C-226, introduced by the Green Party’s Elizabeth May. The bill is related to “respecting the development of a national strategy to assess, prevent and address environmental racism and to advance environmental justice.”
Private bills she voted against included Bill C-234, introduced by Conservative MP Ben Lobb.
This bill would eliminate the carbon tax on certain fuels for ag purposes.
Bill C-234 did pass its second reading in May.
She also voted against Bill C-215, introduced by Conservative MP Jacques Gourde.
This bill calls for an “increase from 15 to 52 the maximum number of weeks for which benefits may be paid because of illness, injury or quarantine.”
That bill passed its second reading in June.
Minister Bibeau supported all four Senate public bills.
These included two bills introduced by Conservative senators.