FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 11, 2014
Chong Thanks Procedure and House Affairs Committee for their Work
Procedure and House Affairs Committee concludes final meeting on the Reform Act, 2014.
OTTAWA – Michael Chong, M.P. for Wellington-Halton Hills, today thanked the members of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs for concluding their review of the Reform Act, 2014.
“I want to thank committee members for adopting the amendments proposed last September,” Chong stated. “I also want to thank members for concluding their review of the bill before the House adjourns for the holidays.”
Since its introduction in December 2013, the Reform Act has seen considerable debate and discussion. In April 2014, Chong introduced a revised version of the bill, Bill C-586, based on the feedback he received from his constituents, colleagues and Canadians across the country. In September 2014, Chong proposed further amendments that would provide parties with the flexibility they sought while maintaining the original principles of the bill.
On September 24th, the Reform Act, 2014 passed its first vote in the House of Commons with the support of MPs from all parties, adopting it at Second Reading, 253-17.
“While the bill has come a long way since it was introduced just over a year ago, we are only part way through the legislative process,” Chong said. “We are up against the hard deadline of the 2015 federal election. It’s important that the bill be passed into law before the House rises next June.”
The Reform Act is set to return to the House of Commons in the new year for Third Reading and a final vote in the House of Commons, before going to the Senate.