Close X
Saturday, November 23, 2024
ADVT 
National

House of Commons can manage virtual voting securely if MPs want it, Speaker says

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 02 Jun, 2020 07:14 PM
  • House of Commons can manage virtual voting securely if MPs want it, Speaker says

House of Commons Speaker Anthony Rota says he is comfortable the technology is in place to safely allow MPs to vote remotely during the hybrid Parliament sittings.

Rota tells the procedure and House affairs committee today he is confident the process for public votes is secure and that it's up to MPs to decide which kind of system is appropriate to approve.

Security concerns and other barriers to letting MPs vote while attending the House of Commons virtually kept the Liberals and NDP from supporting a return to normal last month.

The House of Commons is continuing with hybrid sittings of the special COVID-19 committee, with some MPs attending in person and others via an adapted online videoconference.

Conservative and Bloc MPs want a return to normal proceedings, which they say allow them to better hold the government accountable for hundreds of billions of dollars in pandemic aid.

Rota says any electronic or virtual voting system must ensure MPs know what they are voting on, that the House can verify their identities and that have enough time to make it to the vote.

MORE National ARTICLES

Another $650M in COVID-19 aid bound for Indigenous communities, Miller says

Another $650M in COVID-19 aid bound for Indigenous communities, Miller says
The federal government is planning to spend $650 million more to help Indigenous communities cope with the pandemic, after months of First Nations, Inuit and Metis leaders saying the previous amount was inadequate.

Another $650M in COVID-19 aid bound for Indigenous communities, Miller says

Large cruise ships barred from Canadian waters until end of October: Garneau

Large cruise ships barred from Canadian waters until end of October: Garneau
The cruise-ship season in Canada is all but sunk as Ottawa extends its ban on large ships in Canadian waters until the end of October in an attempt to contain COVID-19.

Large cruise ships barred from Canadian waters until end of October: Garneau

N.S. police received warnings in 2011 about man who would become mass killer

N.S. police received warnings in 2011 about man who would become mass killer
A newly released document reveals that in May 2011, police were told the Nova Scotia man who would later kill 22 people in a shooting rampage wanted to "kill a cop" and was feeling mentally unstable.

N.S. police received warnings in 2011 about man who would become mass killer

Canada exploring ways to reunite families divided by COVID-19 border closure

Canada exploring ways to reunite families divided by COVID-19 border closure
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government is exploring ways to reunite family members divided by the temporary travel restrictions at the Canada-U.S. border.

Canada exploring ways to reunite families divided by COVID-19 border closure

Hospice's refusal to provide assisted death causes 'anxiety,' says B.C. mayor

Hospice's refusal to provide assisted death causes 'anxiety,' says B.C. mayor
A hospice that has a long history of helping people near death but denies them medical assistance in dying is drawing criticism from the city's mayor in a clash of ideologies that has split its board and raised questions about its future.

Hospice's refusal to provide assisted death causes 'anxiety,' says B.C. mayor

New site is one-stop shop for B.C. workers, farmers, during pandemic

New site is one-stop shop for B.C. workers, farmers, during pandemic
The British Columbia government has created a new online resource to help the province's agricultural sector find workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

New site is one-stop shop for B.C. workers, farmers, during pandemic