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OTTAWA — Votes from a handful of Conservative backbenchers weren’t enough to push through an NDP proposal to strike an all-party committee to study and craft a national anti-bullying strategy.

The motion from NDP backbencher Dany Morin was defeated Wednesday night in the Commons by a vote of 149 to 134. About half a dozen Conservative backbenchers voted in favour of the motion, but the support was not enough to have it passed.

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Shortly after the vote, Morin released a statement where he said the government “remained indifferent” to the issue of bullying by voting against his proposal and “missed an opportunity to take a leadership role in the fight against bullying.”

“We must put an end to bullying and that is why the NDP called on all parties to support the development of a national bullying prevention strategy,” Morin said in his statement.

“By voting against the national bullying prevention strategy, the Conservatives refused to put partisanship aside to work together for the well-being of children and youth. The Conservative vision, which favours criminalization rather than prevention, condemns our youth to continue suffering from bullying for years to come.”