I’ve written extensively about Bill C-4 and the government’s effort to bury political party privacy rules that largely eliminate privacy obligations for federal political parties and apply the new rules retroactively to May 2000. This past week’s Law Bytes podcast featured Senate hearings on the bill, which ultimately resulted in an amendment to require the government to establish actual privacy obligations within three years. The government yesterday rejected the amendment and the bill received royal assent in a lightning-fast process.

It began with the House rejecting a Senate amendment to the bill.

Only one MP – Elizabeth May – spoke to the motion. No other MP had anything to say.

Given the silence, the motion moved immediately to a vote. No need for an actual vote though. Just an agreement to “carry on division.” The motion rejecting the Senate amendment that merely required the government to establish real privacy rules within three years was passed.

With the House rejection, the matter went immediately to the Senate. It quickly agreed to withdraw its amendment to Bill C-4.

And so the House was quickly informed that the amendment was withdrawn.

Within minutes, Bill C-4 received royal assent. Bill passes without privacy safeguards and without any real discussion or debate. All within a matter of hours.