MPs to vote on $21B spending bill as clock ticks down on deadline

The money will go to fund the First Nations child and family services program, and to compensate the Quebec government for services for asylum seekers, among other programs.

Members of Parliament are set to vote on a government bill asking for billions in funding as the clock ticks down on a deadline.

Last month, the Liberals made a request for Parliament to approve $21.6 billion in spending.

The money will go to fund the First Nations child and family services program, and to compensate the Quebec government for services for asylum seekers, among other programs.

But there had been uncertainty over whether the vote would even happen before Tuesday’s deadline.

Parliament has been paralyzed for months as the Conservatives press the Liberals to hand over documents relating to hundreds of millions of dollars of misspending on a green-tech fund.

The issue is the focus of an ongoing privilege debate, which the Conservatives have pledged to keep going until they get what they want.

Privilege matters take precedence over nearly all other House affairs, so government business has not been proceeding.

But in a ruling last week, citing House of Commons rules and procedures, Speaker Greg Fergus said he would exercise his authority to pause the privilege debate, so that the vote on government spending can proceed.