A filibuster is a political procedure used by members of a legislative body to delay or prevent a decision on proposed legislation. It involves prolonging debate, sometimes to the point of "talking a bill to death." This tactic is a form of obstruction, and is used to prevent a measure from being brought to a vote. While the tactic can be used by a minority to block a vote on a bill they oppose, it can also be used as a way to force negotiation and compromise. The most well-known filibusters are those of the United States Senate, where the rules have historically permitted unlimited debate unless cloture, a process for ending debate and bringing a vote, is invoked by a supermajority of senators. Filibusters have been used on issues ranging from civil rights to budget appropriations. Recent changes to Senate rules have limited the use of the filibuster for some judicial nominations.
1936: Tommy Henderson's Filibuster
In 1936, Tommy Henderson, an Independent Unionist MP, conducted a nine-and-a-half-hour filibuster in the Northern Ireland House of Commons on the Appropriation Bill. He used the broad scope of the bill to criticize the Unionist government.
November 22, 1960: Ahrn Palley's Filibuster
On November 22, 1960, Ahrn Palley launched a filibuster in the Southern Rhodesia Legislative Assembly against the Law and Order Maintenance Bill. He used the tactic of proposing numerous amendments, extending the session for over 16 hours.
April 1963: Roseller Lim's Filibuster
In April 1963, Roseller Lim conducted an 18-hour filibuster in the Philippine Senate to delay the election of Ferdinand Marcos as Senate President. Lim's efforts were ultimately unsuccessful.
May 6, 1991: Mike Harris filibusters the NDP budget
On May 6, 1991, Mike Harris used a unique filibustering tactic by introducing Bill 95, the "Zebra Mussel Act", the title of which included every lake, river, and stream in Ontario. The reading of this excessively long title consumed the entire session.
March 11, 1993: Madeleine Petrovic's Filibuster
On March 11, 1993, Madeleine Petrovic conducted a 10-hour, 35-minute filibuster, setting a record that would later be broken by Werner Kogler in 2010. This led to changes in standing orders to limit speaking time.
1993: Jorge Ulloa's Filibuster in Chile
In 1993, Jorge Ulloa conducted a six-hour filibuster in the Chilean Chamber of Deputies to enable Pablo Longueira to arrive and vote on the impeachment of Supreme Court justices.
April 1997: Ontario NDP filibusters the megacity bill
In April 1997, the Ontario NDP attempted to block Bill 103, which aimed to amalgamate Metro Toronto municipalities, by introducing 11,500 amendments using mail merge, each suggesting public hearings on a different street. The Liberals also joined with additional amendments.
1999: Reform Party of Canada filibusters on native treaty issues
In 1999, the Reform Party of Canada conducted a filibuster in the House of Commons regarding native treaty issues in British Columbia.
1999: First Filibuster in Hong Kong LegCo Post-Handover
In 1999, the first filibuster after the Handover took place in Hong Kong's Legislative Council (LegCo). It happened during the second reading of the Provision of Municipal Services (Reorganization) Bill. This bill sought to dissolve the Urban Council and Regional Council.
August 2000: New Zealand opposition parties delay Employment Relations Bill
In August 2000, New Zealand's National and ACT parties employed delaying tactics, including slow voting and voting in Māori, to obstruct the Employment Relations Bill.
December 2, 2005: Andrew Dismore sets 21st-century Commons speaking record
On December 2, 2005, Andrew Dismore spoke for three hours and 17 minutes in the House of Commons, blocking the Criminal Law (Amendment) (Protection of Property) Bill, which he criticized as "vigilante law."
August 2006: Record Number of Amendments in French Parliament
In August 2006, the French left-wing opposition submitted over 137,000 amendments to a privatization bill in an attempt to block its passage.
October 26, 2006: Tom Lukiwski filibusters Kyoto Accord study
On October 26, 2006, Conservative MP Tom Lukiwski filibustered for nearly two hours to prevent the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development from studying a private member's bill to implement the Kyoto Accord.
2007: French Privatization Filibuster Withdrawn
In 2007, the French left-wing opposition withdrew their numerous amendments to a privatization bill, abandoning their filibuster attempt due to lack of public support.
February 5, 2008: Tom Lukiwski filibusters inquiry into Conservative campaign spending
On February 5, 2008, Tom Lukiwski spoke for approximately six hours at the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs to obstruct an inquiry into alleged Conservative Party overspending during the 2006 Canadian federal election.
February 7, 2008: Tom Lukiwski continues filibuster on campaign spending inquiry
Tom Lukiwski continued his filibuster on February 7, 2008, speaking for about six hours at the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, aiming to block the inquiry into Conservative campaign spending during the 2006 election.
July 2008: French Constitutional Reform on Filibusters
In July 2008, the French constitution was reformed to limit the government's power to defeat filibusters using Article 49.3, restricting its use primarily to budget measures.
December 18, 2009: Filibuster over Express Rail Link Funding
On December 18, 2009, pro-democracy legislators in Hong Kong initiated a filibuster to delay the funding bill for the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link. This involved raising numerous questions on minor details. Thousands of protesters surrounded the Legislative Council Building during this period.
2009: Filibuster of the Local Government (Auckland Reorganisation) Bill
In 2009, a filibuster was staged against the Local Government (Auckland Reorganisation) Bill in New Zealand. Opponents proposed thousands of amendments and voted in Māori to delay the process.
January 16, 2010: Express Rail Link Funding Bill Passed After Filibuster
On January 16, 2010, following a prolonged filibuster that began on December 18, 2009, the bill to fund the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link finally passed in the Hong Kong legislature.
December 16, 2010: Werner Kogler's Filibuster
On December 16, 2010, Werner Kogler of the Austrian Green Party performed a 12-hour, 42-minute filibuster against the budget, criticizing the governing parties. This was a record at the time.
June 23, 2011: NDP filibusters Bill C-6
On June 23, 2011, the New Democratic Party (NDP) initiated a 58-hour filibuster in the House of Commons of Canada to prevent the passage of Bill C-6, which aimed to impose a four-year contract and pay conditions on locked-out Canada Post workers.
June 25, 2011: NDP filibuster of Bill C-6 ends
On June 25, 2011, the NDP's 58-hour filibuster against Bill C-6 in the Canadian House of Commons concluded. Despite their efforts, the bill eventually passed due to the Conservative Party's majority.
May 17, 2012: Filibuster and Termination of Debate on By-election Amendment
On May 17, 2012, a filibuster in the Hong Kong LegCo concerning a bill restricting lawmakers from participating in by-elections after resignation was ended by LegCo President Jasper Tsang. He cited Article 92 of the Rules of Procedure, ultimately leading to the bill's passage.
2012: Tony Abbott's Liberal National coalition filibusters during question time
In 2012, Tony Abbott's Liberal National coalition utilized the suspension of standing orders to filibuster, primarily during question time against the Labor government.
November 21, 2013: Senate Rule Change on Filibusters
On November 21, 2013, the Senate voted to reduce the number of votes needed to end filibusters for executive and judicial nominees (excluding Supreme Court nominees) from three-fifths to a simple majority.
2013: Attempt to Ban Filibuster Leads to Mass Amendment Submissions
In 2013, an attempt to ban or limit filibustering in Hong Kong by DAB member Ip Kwok-him led to pan-democratic lawmakers submitting 1.9 million amendments to the Finance Committee procedures. This overwhelming number of amendments effectively stalled the process, requiring an estimated 408 man-months to review.
2014: Alan Shatter's "Drone Attack" filibuster
In 2014, Irish Justice Minister Alan Shatter engaged in a filibuster characterized by lengthy, monotonous speaking, which was dubbed a "Drone Attack".
2014: David Christopherson filibusters the Fair Elections Act
In 2014, NDP MP David Christopherson filibustered Bill C-23, the Fair Elections Act, for several meetings, including an eight-hour speech, to advocate for cross-country hearings on the bill.
February 23, 2016: South Korean Filibuster Against Anti-Terrorism Bill
On February 23, 2016, South Korean opposition lawmakers initiated a filibuster against an anti-terrorism bill, lasting 193 hours before the bill ultimately passed.
April 6, 2017: Senate Rule Change on Supreme Court Filibusters
On April 6, 2017, the Senate voted to extend the rule change from 2013 to Supreme Court nominees, allowing filibusters to be ended with a simple majority vote.
April 2017: Support for the 60-Vote Threshold
In April 2017, despite President Trump's opposition, 61 Senators from across the political spectrum signed a letter supporting the 60-vote threshold for legislation filibusters.
September 6, 2017: Catalonian Filibuster Against Independence Referendum
On September 6, 2017, opposition lawmakers in the Catalonian parliament began a filibuster to try and prevent an independence referendum.
2017: Opposition parties filibuster government motion
In the spring of 2017, Conservative and NDP MPs jointly filibustered a motion by Government House Leader Bardish Chagger, which they argued limited their ability to hold the government accountable. The filibuster, led by David Christopherson and Scott Reid, lasted from March 21 to May 2, resulting in the Liberals dropping the most contentious parts of their proposal.
November 8, 2021: Jaime Naranjo's Filibuster
On November 8, 2021, Jaime Naranjo of the Socialist Party performed a nearly 15-hour filibuster in the Chilean Chamber of Deputies to allow other members to arrive for a vote on President Sebastián Piñera's impeachment.
2021: Kevin McCarthy's Record-Breaking Speech
In 2021, Kevin McCarthy used the "magic minute" rule in the House of Representatives to deliver an 8-hour, 33-minute speech opposing the Build Back Better Act, the longest in House history.
2021: Debate over the Filibuster's History
In 2021, debate intensified over the historical use of the filibuster to block civil rights legislation, with some calling it racist and arguing for its abolishment.
January 19, 2022: Failed Attempt to Change Filibuster
On January 19, 2022, a Democratic-led attempt to change the Senate filibuster rules failed due to opposition from two Democratic senators.
2022: Michaelia Cash's nine-hour filibuster
In 2022, Liberal Senator Michaelia Cash conducted a nine-hour filibuster in a committee of the whole to stall the passage of industrial relations laws.