Monday’s Blackout Speakout campaign has been deemed a success by organizers. It drew support from around 500 organizations, representing millions of Canadians. In fact, it seems to have been so successful that the conservative government dispatched 10 ministers to hold press conferences across the country to inform Canadians about the “other side of the story”. While conservatives have been pushing support for bill C-38, others have been concocting plans to oppose it. Debate around the new federal budget is escalating, both online and offline, including input from former Fisheries Minister, John Fraser, who has joined the many voices opposed to the bill.
Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party is leading the debate in parliament with support from some Liberal members. May plans on proposing hundreds of amendments to the omnibus bill, which will slow down the approval process and allow representatives time for discussion and debate. May hopes her amendments will force the Conservatives to revise the bill and remove a considerable amount of items that do not directly relate to the budget. In fact, because the bill includes so many unrelated items, May says that it does not pass the test of being a real omnibus bill- which should have a single central theme. It is estimated that Elizabeth May’s tactics has a 50-50 chance of succeeding.
With May battling bill C-38 inside the house, the public are also vocalizing their opposition on the streets because the bill is seen as a direct attack on democracy. Using pots and pans, people across Canada are standing in solidarity with the oppressed and striking Québec students while showing their disapproval of bill C-38. Evidently, politicians and environmental groups are not the only ones dissatisfied with the budget: ordinary citizens are now joining forces to voice their concerns about the ominous omnibus bill.
