After surviving a House of Commons filibuster by the Opposition Conservatives, Canada’s green transition jobs bill has made its way back to the House of Commons for another vote.

Introduced in June as a framework to guide Canada’s economy toward net-zero emissions while creating new jobs for oil and gas workers, the Canada Sustainable Jobs Act, or Bill C-50, has been blocked by Tory legislators using an “onslaught of bickering and points of order” that slowed progress, reports iPolitics. Their filibuster delayed the bill by more than a month.

The Liberal and New Democratic parties ended up introducing a motion to set a deadline for the bill’s study, along with terms for its debate when it is returned to the House. After voting on more than 100 amendments over eight hours, the Standing Committee on Natural Resources, whose job it was to study C-50, finally sent it back to the House with some changes on December 8.

The bill can now continue through the legislative process.

“Conservatives need to stop putting political posturing ahead of the workers who need a voice in our economic future,” Canadian Labour Congress President Bea Bruske told The Energy Mix. “We need this bill passed so we can have a worker-powered plan for good, sustainable jobs.”

“Workers need a seat at the table as our economy changes,” Bruske added.

The Sustainable Jobs Act would create a council of stakeholders, including Indigenous peoples and unionized workers, to facilitate that shift. It is considered a key part of Canada’s plans to cut emissions, writes iPolitics.

“The Sustainable Jobs Act must go hand in hand with Canada’s net-zero emissions accountability legislation, to ensure all aspects of federal climate policies—including supports for workers—are well coordinated and aligned with the country’s emissions targets,” said Laura Cameron, policy advisor for Canada energy transitions with the International Institute for Sustainable Development.

When it was introduced, the bill was met with cautious optimism from Indigenous, labour, and environmental groups, who said it was a commendable first step. It was opposed by conservative leaders like Alberta’s premier Danielle Smith, who saw it as an attempt to undermine the fossil fuel sector.

Shannon Stubbs, the Conservative shadow minister for natural resources, has called it “the NDP-Liberals’ top-down, central-planning, anti-energy, job-killing ‘just transition’ bill.”