Marathon filibuster ends in House of Assembly

A marathon budget filibuster in the House of Assembly ended Thursday evening with a whimper.

After more than 74 hours of near-consecutive proceedings, opposition MHAs gave up the floor on Thursday afternoon allowing the Liberal government to move forward with two budget-related bills.

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The PCs and NDP had been delaying implementation of the deficit reduction levy by reading emails and letters, while also giving lectures on various — sometimes-related — topics.

But late Thursday afternoon, that bill and the pending tax on insurance premiums were swiftly voted through committee, and into law.

Following the passing of the bills, and the closing of the spring session, Tory Leader Paul Davis said the opposition had achieved what it set out to do — even as he told reporters that the PCs didn't bargain any concessions out of the government in exchange for ending debate.

"We raised the concerns of the people of the province, and we brought it to the attention of members of government," Davis said Thursday evening. "We've articulated very clearly how people feel about the budget."

'Successful' session

Earlier Thursday afternoon before the sitting ended, both opposition leaders told reporters that the session had been a success

It's hard to stop politicians from getting a few words in- Andrew Parsons

PC MHAs said they were surprised by the support they received from the public, with messages pouring in as they stood on the floor.

Even Liberal MHAs jumped into the debate, often taking their full 10-minute slots to retort against PC charges — even if it added to the filibuster's length.

"It's hard to stop politicians from getting a few words in," joked Government House Leader Andrew Parsons. "When you're sitting there, sometimes it's hard to sit back and not answer the debate."

Parsons said the government never had any plans to move closure, and Premier Dwight Ball repeated Thursday afternoon that the process was "democracy in action."

After the filibuster ended, Lt.-Gov. Frank Fagan arrived to give royal assent to several bills, and MHAs ended the spring session with cheerful hugs and handshakes.

More debate to come

The demise of the filibuster essentially ends the parliamentary debate on the Liberal's spring budget, one which the premier admits is one of the toughest in the history of the province.

The financial plan — which hiked taxes across the board, cut services, and set the scene for tough negotiations with public-sector employees — jolted the public and led to demonstrations around the province.

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The premier's personal approval ratings took a big hit, and the Liberals are promising more action in a supplemental fall 'mini-budget,' which is expected to include even more cuts to public services.

Even as Ball defended the Liberal blueprint saying he was just doing what needed to be done for the province, PCs pledged to keep applying pressure against the already-unpopular government.

It's unclear when the legislature will reopen in the fall.