Protestors gathered outside the office of John Weston, Conservative MP for West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country Tuesday to highlight his opposition to a proposed national housing strategy.

"We wanted to distribute information to people in the riding and to the MPs themselves . . . (as to) why we believe a nationally funded housing strategy would be effective," said Douglas King, a lawyer with Pivot Legal Society. Pivot is one of several organizations involved in the Red Tent Campaign, which aims to highlight the issue of homelessness in Canada.

"We've done a few of these visits," King said. "They're targeted towards all the Conservative MPs that voted against Bill C-304."

The bill, introduced by East Vancouver New Democrat Libby Davies, calls on the federal government to develop a national housing strategy at a conference with provincial and territorial officials. The bill says the strategy should include housing for homeless people, the disabled and the elderly as well as providing incentives for rental housing.

To win Bloc support, an amendment was added at the committee stage that would allow Quebec to opt out of the program while receiving the cash equivalent with no conditions attached.

However, the speaker ruled the amendment materially changed a "national" strategy and it was stripped from the bill.

"There was some classic Canadian politics with the issue of the amendment," King said.

The bill is expected to be voted on for the third and final time Oct. 20.

John Weston's spokesman Joshua Peters said Weston wouldn't support a bill with the Quebec opt-out clause.

"Basically, a province can opt out of the national strategy, which kind of defeats the purpose of a national strategy. That's the government's response," Peters said. "It crosses into provincial and municipal jurisdictions. There's that issue as well. The government doesn't want to usurp any provincial jurisdiction."

Peters refused to say if Weston would support the bill without the amendment.