Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government has not yet struck a deal with opposition regarding whether parliamentarians should sit in the House of Commons on Monday.
Trudeau once again doubled-down on his party’s view, saying it would be “irresponsible” for lawmakers to sit amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
“We are in a situation where our public health authorities, our experts and common sense tells us we need to continue to limit our movements,” he told reporters on Sunday. “We need to continue to work from home, we need to continue to do everything we can to ensure that people are kept safe from further spread of this pandemic.”
Without unanimous consent from parties on an alternative arrangement, Parliament is scheduled resume on Monday, meaning up to 338 MPs and their staff would gather in Ottawa.
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0:26 Coronavirus outbreak: Trudeau says Canada-U.S. land border closure extended by 30 days amid COVID-19 pandemic
Coronavirus outbreak: Trudeau says Canada-U.S. land border closure extended by 30 days amid COVID-19 pandemic
Public health officials have advised all Canadians to avoid gathering in groups, and have urged against all non-essential travel.
According to Trudeau, his government has proposed meeting “in some fashion” once a week, and to hold virtual sittings once the technology is available.
“We have proposed and it’s been accepted — largely accepted by the other opposition parties that we should have accountability measures,” Trudeau said. “We should have parliament that functions, but we have to do it responsibly, and that’s why coming back every week for questions and for work on passing new legislation is something that I think is reasonable and is acceptable to most parties.”
Trudeau said he is “perfectly happy” to take questions from media each day, and is “looking forward to taking questions from opposition parties.”
“But it has to be done in a responsible way,” he said. “And right now, the Conservatives are not taking a responsible approach.”
What has the opposition said?
A spokesperson for NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said in a statement to Global News on Saturday that smaller meetings of Parliament — such as the ones held to pass the emergency COVID-19 aid packages — combined with some virtual meetings “likely give us a path forward.”
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The party said there needs to be a way for opposition members to ask questions of the prime minister and cabinet.
“We will keep working with the other parties to get this done and make sure we can deliver for Canadians while respecting the best advice from public health experts,” the statement reads.
What’s more, in a tweet on Saturday Elizabeth May, former Green Party Leader and MP for Saanich-Gulf Islands, said the Greens would not give unanimous consent for calling Parliament together frequently “until Public Health advice says it makes sense.”
“Giving the Conservatives a spotlight in QP is not a reason to reconvene,” she wrote.
Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer told a briefing on Sunday that it is “disingenuous” to suggest all 338 MPs would be present on Monday.
“Only 20 MPs are required for quorum and pretending otherwise to try to force the opposition to accept a bad deal is wrong,” he said. “One sitting each week is unacceptable, even if it is eventually supplemented by a virtual sitting.”
1:34 Coronavirus outbreak: Canadian government to allocate over $306 million to Indigenous businesses
Coronavirus outbreak: Canadian government to allocate over $306 million to Indigenous businesses
The Conservatives say several meetings a week are needed to hold the government to account.
Scheer said during the last two emergency sessions, 32 MPs were in attendance.
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“This allowed us to follow public health advice and still carry out our duties,” he said. “Both times, Conservatives representing ridings from all over the country participated in the debate, and we got better results for Canadians because of it.”
He said his party is proposing that model be implemented three times a week to “ensure Canadians get the real help they need.”
“There must be oversight and accountability,” he said.
Asked by reporters on Sunday if a deal had been reached, Trudeau said no, but that he felt they were “very close.”
“I think it seems very, very reasonable that we can agree that there needs to be a Parliament that is functioning responsibly in this difficult time,” he said. “Most parties have responsible proposals forward, and I certainly hope that the Conservatives will agree to doing the responsible thing here.”
3:00 Coronavirus outbreak: Parliament should be considered an ‘essential service’ Scheer says
Coronavirus outbreak: Parliament should be considered an ‘essential service’ Scheer says
According to the latest numbers released by the Public Health Agency of Canada, as of Sunday at 11 a.m., 33,922 cases of COVID-19 had been confirmed across the country.
The majority of cases have been reported in Quebec and Ontario which have recorded 17,521 and 10,578 infections respectively.
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So far, the virus has claimed 1,506 lives in Canada.
Toronto , On – “Small Talk” by Canadian pop star, Isla-Maria drops October 25th. “Small Talk” follows the singer’s recent R&B/Soul single ‘Silver Shoes” and the self-penned single ‘Attention Seeking’ that soared to the #1 position on the aBreak58 Playlist. The hit single garnered Isla-Maria audience and industry praise at home and internationally. The music industry has taken notice of the young pop singer for her authenticity and the heartfelt connect too her music. And Isla-Maria’s star continues to rise. The pop teen has just moved on to the third round of Auditions for Season 23’s American Idol.
Isla-Maria was born in the small town of Bracebridge, Ontario. From the age of three her talent was obvious and her intent unwavering. She was encourged by everyone who heard her sing. The singer/songwriter took that encouragement and never looked back. The artist has appeared in musical theatre, competitive dance and concerts around the country. Isla-Maria embarked on the Boys of Summer Tour, taking the stage in major cities across the USA. She has also performed at Canadian Music Week in Toronto and Shake the Lake Music Festival in Bala, Ontario. The award-winning pop singer is determined to show her personal style with the same passion and confidence shown in her performances and in the studio. Her song writing ability contributes to her identity as the kind of independent artist she strives to be. Isla-Maria fearlessly pushes boundaries performing songs of love, heartbreak and the roller coaster of emotions that define teenage existence. The multi- talented artist captures the fearless honesty of youth with the soul of an artist far beyond her age.
Isla- Maria…. Hear the Voice.
“Small talk” by Isla- Maria drops, October 25th on all major music platforms. Hear the voice that made it to Season 23 American Idol Auditions.
Available now:
Silver Shoes Music Video – https://youtu.be/G4RV8b5Cfh4?si=FR0zesqR_PpqIoQh
OTTAWA – The minister of mental health and addictions says there are not enough beds in jurisdictions across the country to support involuntary treatment for addictions and mental health.
Ya’ara Saks says health care is under provincial jurisdiction, and that it’s up to the provinces “to outline the policies that they see fit.”
But before they have discussions about compulsory care, she says they need to ensure adequate treatment services are in place.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Thursday he’s in favour of mandatory, involuntary drug and psychiatric treatment for kids and prisoners who are found to be incapable of making decisions for themselves.
Compulsory care for mental health and addictions is being contemplated or expanded in several provinces as communities struggle to cope with a countrywide overdose crisis.
Poilievre says he’s still researching how mandatory treatment would work in the case of adults.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 11, 2024.
OTTAWA – Former public safety minister Bill Blair told a federal inquiry Friday he had no knowledge about delays in approving a spy service warrant in 2021 that may have included references to people in his own government.
A commission of inquiry into foreign interference has heard that it took 54 days for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service warrant application to be approved by Blair.
The average turnaround time for such applications is four to 10 days.
Michelle Tessier, CSIS deputy director of operations during the period, told the inquiry in previous testimony there was frustration with the delay, though there was no concern about interference of any sort or pushback from the minister’s office.
In his testimony, Blair — who is now minister of national defence — said the existence of the warrant wasn’t brought to his attention until he saw an entry in his calendar that he would need to be briefed on a confidential matter by CSIS.
“It was indicated on my calendar it was for the purposes of a warrant, but no information was provided in a non-secure setting about what that warrant was about,” Blair told the commission in his testimony Friday.
He didn’t know about the content of the warrant until he got that briefing, 54 days after the CSIS director and deputy public safety minister asked for his authorization. He signed it the same day.
A past report in the Globe and Mail and a lawyer at the inquiry have suggested the subject of the warrant was Michael Chan, an influential Liberal and former Ontario minister. But federal officials have refused to confirm who CSIS hoped to surveil through the warrant, citing national security concerns.
This week, Blair’s former chief of staff Zita Astravas faced questions about whether she tried to delay the warrant in order to protect connections in the Liberal government and party.
Blair’s chief of staff was briefed about the situation 13 days after the initial request for the minister’s approval was made, but Blair said no information about that briefing was passed on to him.
Blair said he never felt conflicted about approving the warrant, he simply didn’t know it existed.
“I can’t approve something I didn’t know anything about,” the minister told the inquiry.
“No one suggested to me that there were any difficulties bringing those matters forward to me in a proper way.”
Blair said he still doesn’t know why it took 54 days for the warrant to come to his attention.
Once he got the information, he said he didn’t share any information with the prime minister, the prime minister’s office, or anyone outside of the secure briefing.
The commission of inquiry’s latest hearings are looking at the ability of federal agencies to identify and counter foreign interference. A final report is due by the end of the year.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 11, 2024.
