It appears the Senate may be moving closer to a final vote on the late Mauril Belanger's private member's bill that, if passed, would change the lyrics of O Canada to make them gender neutral.

Today, at third reading for bill C-210, the Senate voted down an amendment moved by Conservative Senator Don Plett, and passed by a Senate committee, that would have likely doomed the bill.

The late Liberal MP Mauril Bélanger's bill will replace "in all thy sons command" with "in all of us command" in the English version of the anthem.

Plett said he did not feel comfortable altering the song and suggested a compromise to change the lyrics to "thou dost in us command" instead — reverting to the original wording of the song penned by Judge Robert Stanley Weir in 1908.

And while Plett's intervention kept the language gender neutral, had the amendment passed, it would have required the bill to be sent back to the House of Commons for another vote.

Because Bélanger has died — he passed away last summer from ALS — MPs would have to unanimously agree for another MP to act as sponsor of the bill to oppose the amendment, something that is unlikely.

With Plett's amendment being defeated in the Senate Thrusday by a vote of 41 against, 18 for and nine abstentions, it is possible now for Senators to pass the bill and send it on to the Governor General for royal assent in time for Canada Day.

A final vote on the bill can, however, still be delayed. Any member of the Senate can adjourn debate in their name, punting a vote or delaying further discussion indefinitely.