MPs debate as Liberals, with NDP support, aim to suspend Parliament until Sept. 21

Theglobeandmail.com
May 26, 2020
Bill Curry

Members of Parliament will debate for a second day on Tuesday a Liberal plan to extend the current suspension of the House of Commons for another four months -- a move the government says is necessary to stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic but others argue will threaten democratic accountability.

The Liberal government -- with the support of the NDP -- introduced a motion Monday outlining alternative scenarios for political debate during the proposed suspension to Sept. 21, such as meetings of some committees and a total of four formal sitting days. The motion also says the government’s latest spending estimate plans -- which have not yet been released but are expected to include at least some of the government’s new pandemic spending measures -- will be approved without amendment after no more than four hours of debate on the floor of the House of Commons.

The motion allows the Special Committee on the COVID-19 Pandemic to meet four days a week in the House.

The Special Committee, made up of all members of the House of Commons, was created as part of an agreement in April to extend the suspension of regular sittings. It provides a venue for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and cabinet ministers to answer questions from opposition MPs. Over the past month, it has met roughly once a week on the floor of the House of Commons and twice a week by video link. Monday’s motion said this committee will meet four times a week in a “hybrid” format until June 18, at which point it will disband.

MPs who cannot travel to Ottawa will be able to participate in the Special Committee through new video links on screens placed inside the House of Commons. However, many of the other activities that come with regular sittings, such as introducing and voting on motions and legislation, are suspended except for the four scheduled sitting days.

Conservative MPs dismissed the meetings of the Special Committee on COVID-19 as inadequate and called for regular sittings of the House to resume.

“Let’s be clear. The plan the Liberals are presenting on how members of Parliament can do their job in this place does not include a return to Parliament. The Liberals want a glorified committee, with stunted duties and limited powers. It’s a fake Parliament,” said Conservative House Leader Candice Bergen. “My question for the Prime Minister is this: If he thinks it’s okay for us to be here four days a week, face to face, in a glorified committee, why is it not okay for us to be here, like we are today, having real Parliament?”

Debate on the motion will continue on Tuesday.

Liberal MPs defended the plan, arguing that technical capacities are not yet in place for full sittings that allow MPs to participate remotely. A recent administrative report by House of Commons officials appeared to contradict that view. It said officials have been ready to support fully virtual, or hybrid sittings, as recently as May 11.

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Hybrid meetings, which will be used for the COVID-19 committee, include a mix of MPs attending in person and others attending via video. The administrative report did note that there are questions about how remote voting would work.

A related study by the procedure and House affairs committee heard from experts who said procedural options currently exist that allow MPs to vote in reduced numbers. The committee recommended an incremental approach to incorporating videoconferencing and remote voting. Monday’s motion calls on that committee to continue its work and to report back by June 23 on options such as remote voting and hybrid sittings.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said he agreed to support the government’s motion in exchange for a Liberal pledge to work with the provinces toward a new program of guaranteed paid sick leave.

“These folks on the front lines are often the highest risk for spreading the illness [COVID-19]," Mr. Singh said in the House of Commons. "So this is not just the right thing to do for justice and fairness for workers. It is also the right thing to do in a public-health response.”

The House of Commons first adjourned with the unanimous consent of all parties on March 13, until April 20. The House then met and adjourned again, until May 25, but Conservatives opposed the second extension.

During his morning news conference, the Prime Minister said he spoke with Mr. Singh on Sunday about measures to protect workers. He then made a general pledge to work with the provinces.

“That’s why the government will continue discussions with the provinces without delay on ensuring that as we enter the recovery phase of the pandemic every worker in Canada who needs it has access to 10 days of paid sick leave a year,” he said.

Mr. Trudeau did not provide specifics as to how such a program might work and whether benefits would be paid for by provinces, the federal government or employers. He said B.C. Premier John Horgan first raised the issue of paid sick leave a few weeks ago during one of Mr. Trudeau’s regular conference calls with provincial and territorial premiers.

Mr. Trudeau said the B.C. Premier “pointed out quite rightly that when the fall comes and flu season starts up, we don’t want people who develop a sniffle to suddenly worry that they really shouldn’t go into work but they can’t afford to not go into work.”

Mr. Trudeau said the discussions are focused on providing “about 10 days” of paid sick leave a year.

Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet said he declined to negotiate with the Liberals on a new extension of the Commons suspension. He said the Liberals failed to follow through on commitments made during the last extension.

“Before I said we would do some vigilant collaboration,” he said. “Now I would I say we would do some mistrustful collaboration.”