After a long lunch in Victoria deliberating its merits, Speaker Bill Barisoff has ruled in favour of a request from Liberal house leader Mike De Jong to fast-track legislation to allow for an amendment to the Vancouver Charter.

The amendment allows the City of Vancouver to borrow an unlimited amount of money to complete the project without having to hold a referendum.

The fast track comes in the form of a standing order 81, based in British parliamentary traditions, which enables a government to speed the passage of bills through the house in a single day if there is a pressing need to do so.

"I’ve had an opportunity to peruse the bill and note that as an amendment to the Vancouver Charter, it only applies to the municipality of Vancouver, and it is, in fact, limited to borrowing authorization with respect to one project — namely, the construction of the Olympic athletes village," Barisoff is quoted as saying in the draft Hansard transcripts. "Under these circumstances, I am of the opinion that the bill is sufficiently limited in scope to qualify under Standing Order 81."

The debate continued through the afternoon.