Budget bill voting marathon over

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OTTAWA (NEWS1130) – After nearly 24 straight hours, members of Parliament have completed their marathon voting session on the Conservative government’s budget bill.
    
The voting, which began at 1 a.m. Thursday morning, ran non-stop until just after 11 p.m., more than 22 hours later.
    
Those MPs who were in the House of Commons were visibly relieved when the end finally came, cheering as the last vote of the night was cast.
    
Opposition members tabled some 871 amendments to the omnibus Jobs, Growth and Long-Term Prosperity Act, which they denounced as a “Trojan horse” and an affront to the principles of democracy.
    
The bill contains changes to dozens of statutes, ranging from employment insurance and public pensions to environmental assessments, border security and spy agency oversight.
    
The governing Conservatives insisted the 400-page bill is responsible and necessary to ensure Canada’s economy can weather the coming economic storm.
    
Third reading for the bill is on Monday, then it goes to Senate.
  

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