With just three sitting days left on the clock before the House of Commons powers down for the week-long Thanksgiving hiatus, MPs are slated to sit until midnight as they continue debating the pros and cons of Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon’s omnibus push to further streamline the project approval process and making sweeping changes to federal labour law.

As yet, the Liberals have not yet taken the necessary steps to use their narrow working majority to impose a deadline on the remaining debate, although barring an internal caucus revolt, the bill is all but guaranteed to clear second reading, at which point it will be referred to a special legislative committee for further review.

As iPolitics reported yesterday, the Senate has already filed the procedural paperwork to establish its own legislative committee to conduct a preliminary examination of the legislation ahead of its anticipated arrival in the Upper House later this fall.

Prime Minister Mark Carney is also expected to be back in his front-and-centre seat in the chamber this afternoon. (2 p.m.) 

Also on the docket: Conservative MP Tamara Jansen’s backbench bid to update the Criminal Code to explicitly state that “mental disorder is not a grievous and irremediable medical condition for which a person could receive medical assistance in dying,” which is in the queue for a critical second-reading vote that will determine whether the bill is dispatched to committee for further study or dropped from consideration entirely. (3 p.m.)

Later this morning, Justice Minister Sean Fraser and Health Minister Marjorie Michel will hold an on-camera briefing in the West Block Foyer to “outline the next steps in the (government’s) medical assistance in dying laws,” with members of the government — which, in this context, includes ministers and parliamentary secretaries, but not rank-and-file Liberal MPs — set to vote against Jansen’s bill, according to The Globe and Mail. (12 p.m.)

“A Liberal Research Bureau briefing note sent to the party’s MPs and viewed by The Globe and Mail says the government will oppose Conservative MP Tamara Jansen’s bill when it comes up for a vote on Wednesday afternoon,” the paper reported yesterday.

“The Liberal briefing note on the bill says the government’s position is that use of the phrase ‘mental disorder’ is too broad, and, among other things, could restrict access to MAID for those already eligible, such as people with neurocognitive ailments.”

Under standard parliamentary protocols, all votes on private members’ business are automatically deemed to be free unless explicitly designated otherwise, which is not expected to be the case with Jansen’s bill, although it’s still not clear whether it will secure sufficient support to proceed further.

Representatives of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition are also set to be on the Hill this morning to highlight their support for the bill. (11 a.m.)

Before circling back to the Building Canada Strong Act, MPs will also weigh in on the Conservative-initiated call for the government to roll out the “emergency fuel relief plan” outlined in the non-binding motion debated yesterday.

ON AND AROUND THE HILL

First Nation Wild Salmon Alliance members and Nakwaxdaʼxw hereditary chiefs hit the West Block press theatre to reiterate their shared opposition to open-net-pen fish farms in the Nakwaxdaʼxw traditional territories, and explain why, in their view, “semi-closed marine production systems such as the ‘Marine Donut’ also fail to protect wild salmon,” as per the notice. (9 a.m.)

Also making the rounds on the parliamentary media circuit: Canadian Association of Retired Persons president Anthony Quinn, who is booked in for a mid-morning media availability to deliver what the advisory describes as a “warning for politicians, pundits and financial institutions”: namely, that “older Canadians will not quietly accept being smeared as rich, spoiled, entitled and hoarding wealth,” which the group refers to as the “generational blame game.” (9:30 a.m.)

Rounding out the roster, former Liberal justice minister Irwin Cotler, who now serves as chair of the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, teams up with members of the Iranian Justice Collective, as well as “survivors, advocates and parliamentarians from across party lines” to launch a “12-point action plan” that includes “concrete steps Canada can take to strengthen accountability, support victims and survivors, and respond to the ongoing serious human rights abuses by the Iranian regime,” according to the advisory. (11:30 a.m.)

OUTSIDE THE PRECINCT

Energy Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson hits the main stage at the annual Global Risk Institute Summit in Toronto, where, according to the programme, he’ll “share his perspective on the important role that natural resources play in Canada’s strategy to diversify international trade, bolster employment and build a resilient economy, and how the financial sector can help advance these priorities.” (10 a.m.)

Also on the speaking list: Financial Institutions Superintendent Peter Routledge, who will participate in an on-stage “fireside chat” on “getting back to basics” with Global Risk Institute CEO Sonia Baxendale, during which he’ll “highlight OSFI’s renewed focus on leadership accountability as a means to reinforce risk management and governance, and bolster public trust.” (1 p.m.)

Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty joins Saskatoon Tribal Council Chief Mark Arcand at the Dakota Dunes Resort outside Whitecap, Sask., to unveil what the advisory is describing as a “milestone agreement” on the First Nations Child and Family Services Program. (9 a.m. CT)

Moving still further west, Defence Minister David McGuinty visits Canadian Forces Base Edmonton, where, alongside Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, he’ll “highlight key defence investments” across the province. (12:15 p.m. MDT)

FRESH FROM iPOLITICS

HOT OFF THE WIRES