Government House Leader Pablo Rodriguez has asked Speaker Anthony Rota for advice on the possibility of convening the House virtually. “I would like advice and assistance on the ability for the House of Commons administration to support and facilitate virtual sittings of the House of Commons where it could conduct its regular business.” Since the current Standing Orders don’t allow for electronic or remote voting, Mr. Rodriguez acknowledged, there would have to be “substantial revisions” to the rulebook. The letter addressed to the Speaker, who presides over the Commons, was also copied to opposition House leaders.
The Bloc Québécois said it’s supportive of the idea of holding virtual sittings, saying in a statement that it has been calling for such measures for days to allow for opposition parties to hold the government accountable for its COVID-19 response. The Bloc also proposed some parameters under which a virtual sitting might take, including adjusting the hours MPs are normally expected to sit and that speaking times should be negotiated and reflect a party’s respective standing.
Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer last week called for increased accountability, saying that “these accountability sessions could take place via videoconference, be chaired by the Speaker, and follow House rules until MPs can meet in person.”
Though the House motion that called for its temporary suspension marked April 20 as the date Parliament would return, it appears unlikely, given expectations that physical-distancing measures will remain in place for several weeks more, that all 338 MPs will resume sitting on the Hill. NDP whip Rachel Blaney told The Hill Times last week parties were in “preliminary discussions” over how Parliament might make up for the week lost, or be allowed to return to normal.
It was also still unclear when exactly the House will be recalled to pass the feds’ enhanced wage-subsidy program. Ms. Blaney said opposition parties want to have enough time to review the bill, to avoid another late-night showdown over the government’s proposed spending powers, which it later retreated from.
The online portal to apply for the feds’ Canada Emergency Response Benefit opens today. Since the government has staggered application dates by birth months, those born between January and March are first in line. While the criteria for the CERB stipulates that the beneficiary must be at least 15 years old, some students may find themselves unable to qualify if they haven’t earned at least $5,000 in the past 12 months. It also excludes those who have voluntarily quit their jobs.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Finance Minister Bill Morneau have acknowledged that the programs being rolled out may not cover everyone who stands to be affected, but have said more relief measures are in the works.
Mr. Trudeau and his team have signalled that they’re hoping that working the phones, as opposed to initiating retaliatory measures against the U.S., will help resolve the dispute over the shipment of medical supplies, particularly 3M masks, to Canada. ” I will say that we will do what is necessary to keep Canadians safe and we will do it in as constructive a way as possible,” he told reporters Sunday.
Queen Elizabeth wants Canadians to know that Canada is on her mind, as she acknowledged, in a statement, the difficulty of remaining hopeful “when faced with loss and uncertainty, but Canadians have many reasons for optimism, even in the most trying times.”
Later, this week, the House Finance and Health committee are expected to convene again for more virtual meetings, though times for those meetings have not yet been made public.
OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the NDP is caving to political pressure from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre when it comes to their stance on the consumer carbon price.
Trudeau says he believes Jagmeet Singh and the NDP care about the environment, but it’s “increasingly obvious” that they have “no idea” what to do about climate change.
On Thursday, Singh said the NDP is working on a plan that wouldn’t put the burden of fighting climate change on the backs of workers, but wouldn’t say if that plan would include a consumer carbon price.
Singh’s noncommittal position comes as the NDP tries to frame itself as a credible alternative to the Conservatives in the next federal election.
Poilievre responded to that by releasing a video, pointing out that the NDP has voted time and again in favour of the Liberals’ carbon price.
British Columbia Premier David Eby also changed his tune on Thursday, promising that a re-elected NDP government would scrap the long-standing carbon tax and shift the burden to “big polluters,” if the federal government dropped its requirements.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
Simon Jolin-Barrette, minister responsible for consumer protection, has tabled a bill to force merchants to calculate tips based on the price before tax.
That means on a restaurant bill of $100, suggested tips would be calculated based on $100, not on $114.98 after provincial and federal sales taxes are added.
The bill would also increase the rebate offered to consumers when the price of an item at the cash register is higher than the shelf price, to $15 from $10.
And it would force grocery stores offering a discounted price for several items to clearly list the unit price as well.
Businesses would also have to indicate whether taxes will be added to the price of food products.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
Quebec legislature member Youri Chassin has announced he’s leaving the Coalition Avenir Québec government to sit as an Independent.
He announced the decision shortly after writing an open letter criticizing Premier François Legault’s government for abandoning its principles of smaller government.
In the letter published in Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec, Chassin accused the party of falling back on what he called the old formula of throwing money at problems instead of looking to do things differently.
Chassin says public services are more fragile than ever, despite rising spending that pushed the province to a record $11-billion deficit projected in the last budget.
He is the second CAQ member to leave the party in a little more than one week, after economy and energy minister Pierre Fitzgibbon announced Sept. 4 he would leave because he lost motivation to do his job.
Chassin says he has no intention of joining another party and will instead sit as an Independent until the end of his term.
He has represented the Saint-Jérôme riding since the CAQ rose to power in 2018, but has not served in cabinet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
