Conservatives say the Prime Minister is trying to create "a crowd, not an opposition" after the Liberal government introduced changes to allow midnight sessions for the rest of the spring.

The government says the proposal – known as Motion 11 – will simply regulate the House of Commons business before it is adjourned for the summer recess, which is scheduled for June 23.

Conservative Party leader John Brassard said the last-minute extension of working hours has a "profound impact" on people working in Parliament, including interpreters and other staff.

But the Minister of Justice said they would only extend hours if necessary to facilitate discussion on key bills before the end of the spring session.

David Lametti said MPs spent 12 sitting days discussing a bill to implement parts of the economic fall statement, which was introduced in December.

This bill would create a tax credit for businesses working to improve air quality and ventilation, expand the tax exemption for school supplies for teachers, and create a fuel tax credit for farms in provinces using the federal carbon pricing backstop.

It was approved at the report stage on Monday. During Monday’s debate, Lametti said Liberal leadership will ensure staff, including interpreters, get advance warning of late sitting days, adding that they are aware of staff health and safety needs.

The proposal introduced by the government last week would allow it to extend hours at any time until 6:30 pm, the scheduled end of the day.

Last week, Lametti spoke to a Senate committee about a bill that would allow courts to expand the use of virtual appearances, including by witnesses and potential jurors, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said the bill is being presented to the Senate first in an effort to speed up its passage, because there is a lot of potential legislation moving slowly in the House of Commons.

"Can you imagine what will happen when we get to the budget?" Lametti asked. He added, "We are doing this to facilitate discussion because of filibuster tactics by the Conservative Party."

Quebec Bloc MP Alain Therrien replied in French, saying the Liberal government is undermining democracy with the help of the New Democratic Party.

New Democratic Party leader in the Commons, Peter Julian, said Conservatives have blocked bills for months "without any explanation." The NDP appears poised to back the government proposal, even though it is not part of the confidence and supply agreement items.

As for Brassard, he stated: "What the NDP has done by agreeing to this with the Liberals is giving Justin Trudeau exactly what he wanted over the past six and a half years: he now has a crowd, not an opposition."

Meanwhile, in the upper chamber, the government representative in the Senate introduced a proposal to continue hybrid sessions due to the ongoing threat of COVID-19.

Senator Marc Gold said this is not "government policy," but "prudence and caution with regard to the health and safety of Senators, their families, and their staff."

But other Senators argue it is another attempt to avoid accountability. Senate hours have been reduced and there have been fewer committee meetings under the hybrid model.

Some noted the fact that public galleries in the House of Commons are open, and most provinces have dropped pandemic mandates. Opposition leader in the Senate, Donald Plett, said he and his colleagues "are failing to fulfill our duties as Senators."

Plett said during one debate: "I acknowledge that there are ongoing challenges and uncertainties about the pandemic, but treating the Senate as a long-term care home is an insult to taxpayers and the constitutional importance of the role of a Senator." He noted that Senators are unlikely to quarantine at this stage.