OTTAWA — Conservatives in the Senate have used their majority to overrule their own Speaker and force a final vote on a controversial labour bill.
Claude Carignan, the Conservative leader in the upper chamber, was backed by all but six of his own senators in shooting down a ruling by Speaker Leo Housakos that would have prevented the government from ending debate on Bill C-377.
The bill would require unions and labour organizations to publicly disclose the details of their spending, including how much they spend on political activities.
Allowing the government to shut down debate on private member's bills like C-377 would violate the basic principles of how the Senate operates, Housakos said.
Housakos and Sen. Diane Bellemare were the only Conservatives to vote in favour of the Speaker's ruling, with Bellemare receiving a round of applause from Liberals when she cast her vote.
Five more Conservatives abstained from Friday's vote.
The Opposition Liberals had worried the Conservatives would use their majority in the Senate to force a final vote on C-377 and pass it despite opposition, including from seven provinces who feel the bill is unconstitutional.
