The Liberal government had two chances to pass Bill C-49 Friday, but they refused to do so.

Associate Shadow Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, John Barlow, said on May 11, the NDP proposed a motion to get the Bill passed with the two Senate amendments that came back to the House of Commons on Thursday, but the Liberals voted against it.

Barlow said, the Liberals then lost the voice vote to not accept the Senate's two amendments, meaning they voted for the Bill not to be passed, but were defeated.

The Liberals further delayed the process by forcing a standing vote on May 22.

"I want our grain growers in Western Canada and I want our people in Atlantic Canada to remember this," Barlow said. "Every chance that the Liberals had to take some definitive actions on the grain backlog dating back to last June, every single time, they have failed to take any action, and now, unfortunately, our grain producers have been suffering the consequence of that."

Barlow adds, after the Liberals chose not to pass the Bill, they sent letters to stakeholders, such as the Grain Growers of Canada, blaming the opposition for delaying the passage of the legislation.

"Our producers have tried not to be parties in this. They've tried to stay in the middle, and at the eleventh hour, the Liberals after doing nothing, they're trying to come in like they're trying to save this and put the blame on everybody else, but the blame lies squarely on their shoulders."

Now the earliest the Bill can be passed is May 22, and the clock is ticking as the House rises exactly a month later on June 22.

Barlow said he wants producers to know they'll continue to stand up for Canadian grain growers until the legislation is passed.