MANY BILLS MAY FACE LEGISLATIVE LIMBO

More than 30 government bills - including everything from
decriminalizing marijuana to establishing a national sex-offenders'
registry - could remain in legislative limbo as the clock ticks down
on Prime Minister Jean Chretien's final months in office.

And with speculation the Liberal government could end its fall session
one week before the Liberal leadership convention is expected to crown
front-runner Paul Martin next month, time is running out on government
business.

"The priority of this government is to get rid of Chretien and get
Martin in there," said Canadian Alliance House Leader John Reynolds.

"They're in flux," he said. "There's nothing new coming out. They're
not in a hurry to speed up anything."

Some Liberal MPs aren't even bothering to show up at committee
meetings as the transition of two duelling agendas continues, he said.

The government has already backed away from its legislation to change
the 127-year-old Indian Act, which was criticized by Mr. Martin.

Other controversial bills - including the government's plans to
decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana and another
that would regulate reproductive technology and prohibit human cloning
- - could face similar hurdles.

Mr. Martin appears in a hurry to start the job while Mr. Chretien
appears in no hurry to leave. Last week, Mr. Martin presided over his
own evening caucus meeting in Parliament with 100 Liberal MPs in
attendance for a three-hour discussion with beer and pizza. A week
earlier, Mr. Chretien was forced to defend himself against opposition
charges he was a "lame duck" when Mr. Martin invited the premiers to
the Grey Cup in Regina.

Political observers say Mr. Chretien's long goodbye combined with Mr.
Martin's huge lead in the leadership race over Sheila Copps is
creating a two-headed administration in which little will get done.

"We're in a state of paralysis and drift right now," said Heather
MacIvor, a political scientist at the University of Windsor.

Some of the bills the government will have to fast-track include
legislation to overhaul electoral boundaries to increase the number of
ridings in Canada from 301 to 308 before the federal election,
expected as early in April. The bill would add three more MPs in
Ontario, two in Alberta and two in B.C. The number of MPs is adjusted
every decade to reflect changes in the population from census data.
Another outstanding bill affecting electoral policy would establish
minimum conditions for a group running election candidates to be
listed as a political party.

There are suggestions the government will prorogue Parliament as early
as a week before the Nov. 15 Liberal leadership race. That would leave
only a few weeks for the Liberal government to pass legislation before
Mr. Martin becomes the new leader of the party.

But government House Leader Don Boudria told reporters last week the
Liberals intend to sit in the House of Commons well into December to
complete its legislative list.

"Wait a minute . . . nobody said the session was ending on Nov. 7 and
I certainly haven't said that," he said. "I've said the opposite all
along."

He also said the government wants to pass its controversial law to
decriminalize marijuana before the end of the year.

"I certainly think it's possible to have it complete, at least on the
House side, by Christmas."

The government's bill to legalize same-sex marriage, meanwhile, is not
expected to return to Parliament for a vote until September, 2004, at
the earliest, after a constitutional review by the Supreme Court of
Canada.

Legislation delayed until late fall runs the risk of dying on the
order paper when Mr. Chretien's successor takes office as prime
minister in February. The next leader will likely terminate or
prorogue the parliamentary session to start over with a new cabinet
and Speech from the Throne.

Mr. Martin is already being targeted by political opponents as though
he has already been selected as Liberal leader. Yesterday, NDP Leader
Jack Layton launched a Web site attacking Mr. Martin's policies and
past business dealings.