麻豆传媒

OTTAWA 鈥� Passing new workplace harassment protections, amending the federal political financing regime, repealing old public service policy, and wrapping up the parliamentary process on legalized marijuana are among the top issues on the government鈥檚 current legislative agenda.

With three female House leaders at the helm, the debate over workplace harassment protections dominated the House discussion last week.

This week, the conversation inside the Commons is shifting to Bill C-50, which makes changes to federal political financing rules. It is scheduled to be debated on Monday and Wednesday.

This legislation amends the Canada Elections Act to create new rules around political parties' fundraising. It builds in a requirement for fundraisers to be advertised publicly in advance if they cost $200 or more per ticket and feature the prime minister, cabinet ministers, party leaders, or party leadership candidates. It also requires these events be reported on in some detail to Elections Canada.

It is among the priority bills for the Liberals at this point. In an interview with CTVNews.ca last week, Government House Leader Bardish Chagger said the Liberals have an "ambitious legislative agenda."

There are currently 24 government bills before the House and another nine government bills before the Senate left to pass, with more to come -- including the next budget implimentation bill-- and less than two years left in this Parliament.

Chagger said that she isn鈥檛 concerned about the pace in which bills have been passing, which has been comparatively slower to past governments. The Liberals have passed 37 government bills to date.

"I feel that the government agenda is moving quite well. We have managed to actually have debate on important legislation as well as advancing the mandate Canadians gave us," Chagger said.

Conservative House Leader Candice Bergen said over this sitting her caucus will be focused on holding Trudeau to account over "his ethical lapses, massive spending paired with subsequent tax hikes and his decision to force his ideology on every day Canadians," in a statement to 麻豆传媒.ca.

Bergen said this will include them questioning Trudeau on paying back what he billed taxpayers for, for his trip to the Aga Khan's private island; for his Canada Summer Jobs grant policy; over the economic uncertainty around NAFTA; and what she said is the "out of control spending of the Trudeau Government."

NDP House Leader Ruth Ellen Brosseau said that for the New Democrats, inequality and everything that inequality touches, from the economy to gender, will be the focus.

"For us, it鈥檚 talking about inequality, how we can make life more affordable for Canadians," she said.

As the sitting pushes forward, here are other bills the government says are priorities:

In the House of Commons:

Workplace harassment, Bill C-65: This bill, introduced by Labour Minister Patty Hajdu, is aimed at giving workers and their employers a clear course of action to better deal with allegations of bullying, harassment and sexual harassment, exerting more pressure on companies to combat unacceptable behaviour and punish those who don't take it seriously. The changes will merge separate labour standards for sexual harassment and violence and subject them to the same scrutiny and dispute resolution process, which could include having an outside investigator brought in to review allegations. NDP House Leader Ruth Ellen Brosseau sought and received unanimous consent to have the bill fast-tracked from second reading debate to committee. It is now before the House Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities Committee for further study.

Public service labour relations, Bill C-62: This bill, introduced by Treasury Board President Scott Brison, amends the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations Act and other related acts around the collective bargaining process. It wraps together two previous Liberal bills C-5 and C-34. It repeals aspects of a bill from the previous Conservative government that proved contentious over the powers it gave to overhaul the public service sick leave policy. It recently passed second reading and is off to the same committee as Bill C-65 for further study.

E-cigarettes and tobacco packaging, Bill S-5: This bill, sponsored by Government Representative in the Senate, Sen. Peter Harder, amends the Tobacco Act in relation to the promotion, labelling, and sale of electronic cigarettes and vaping products. It proposes new plain packaging rules for tobacco products to deter their appeal to youth. It also prohibits the marketing of flavoured e-cigarettes that could appeal to young people. It has passed the Senate and is currently before the House Health Committee but it has not begun its study.

In the Senate:

Marijuana legalization, Bill C-45: This bill, introduced by Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould, would allow adults in Canada to possess and use small amounts of recreational marijuana legally. It sets out the parameters around the production, possession, safety standards, distribution, and sale of marijuana. It also creates new Criminal Code offences for selling marijuana to minors. The proposed federal law spells out that it will be illegal for anyone younger than 18 to buy pot, but is leaving it up to the provinces and territories to set a higher age. The bill is currently at second reading debate in the Senate.

Motor vehicle safety, Bill S-2: This bill, also sponsored by Sen. Peter Harder, is called the 鈥淪trengthening Motor Vehicle Safety for Canadians Act.鈥� The bill is aimed at updating safety regulations and bringing new consumer protection in relation to new safety and technological advancements with vehicles. A similar bill was introduced by the previous Conservative government at the end of the last Parliament but it did not pass before the election was called. It鈥檚 near completion of its journey through Parliament, having passed the Senate and is now at third reading in the House of Commons.