“What is this legislative creature?” With thanks to Library Boy, let’s find out!

Canada’s Library of Parliament recently published a paper entitled ‘Omnibus Bills: Frequently Asked Questions’ that tries to get to the bottom of the issue.

“Omnibus bills have been used for decades by governments of various political stripes as a vehicle to propose certain kinds of legislation to Parliament. While their use is well entrenched in Canadian parliamentary practice, it is nonetheless often seen as an exception to the usual legislative process. Whenever omnibus bills are introduced, similar questions arise about their nature, admissibility, appropriateness, and other matters. Yet few, if any, studies have attempted to answer those recurring questions.”

The paper:

• defines what an omnibus bill is
• examines its historical origins
• asks whether it is procedurally admissible
• provides a few examples of “famous” omnibus bills
• goes over the arguments for and against their use

‘Omnibus Bills: Frequently Asked Questions’ can be consulted here.