OTTAWA — The Liberal government says it wants to bring in health breaks that would eliminate overnight voting in the House of Commons for this parliamentary session.

Government House leader Steve MacKinnon introduced the motion today, and the New Democrats voiced their immediate support for it.

MacKinnon says his motion would address the “obstruction” of the Opposition Conservatives, and he’s accusing them of using procedural tactics to stall government work.

In December, the Tories forced a voting marathon on spending measures that kept MPs up and voting for 30 hours straight.

The motion, if it passes, would make it so that under similar circumstances, the House would sit until midnight and resume the following morning to allow for some rest time.

Conservative House leader Andrew Scheer says his party is focused on crime and cost-of-living solutions and Liberals are more focused on House of Commons rules.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 26, 2024.

The Canadian Press