The Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Hon. James S. Cowan, stood up the following day and declared: "Yesterday, this government thumbed its nose at the House of Commons and at Canadians from coast to coast to coast who care deeply about climate change, arguably the most important issue facing Canada and the world. Yesterday, this government refused to allow a bill that came to us with the support of a majority of the elected members of the other place to proceed even to committee, where it could receive careful scrutiny and allow Canadians to be heard on the merits of the bill."

If passed the bill would have required the federal government to set regulations and establish targets to bring greenhouse gas emissions 25 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020, and to set a long-term target to bring emissions 80 per cent below 1990 levels by 2050.

"Stephen Harper has done what he always promised never to do: use unelected officials to counter the will of Parliament and the Canadian public." Said Graham Saul, executive director of Climate Action Network Canada.

An online poll by CBC determined that 86.54% of respondents felt the Senate defeat of Bill C-311 was an abuse of democracy.