Close X
Monday, October 28, 2024
ADVT 
National

Parliament returns amid partisan wrangling, rumblings about Trudeau's leadership

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 21 Oct, 2024 11:24 AM
  • Parliament returns amid partisan wrangling, rumblings about Trudeau's leadership

The House of Commons returns today from a weeklong break, but it's unlikely to be business as usual.

Members of Parliament resumed an 11th day of debate on a Conservative demand for documents about federal spending on green technology projects.

The matter of privilege has all but paralyzed House business as the Liberals try to maintain a grip on an increasingly fractious minority Parliament.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has also written a letter to House Speaker Greg Fergus, asking for an emergency debate on the RCMP allegations that agents of the Indian government were linked to cases of murder, extortion and coercion in Canada. 

Canada expelled six Indian diplomats and India in turn sent six Canadian envoys home as a result of the allegations.

In the letter, Singh says "the severity of the situation and the danger it poses to all Canadians" warrants an emergency debate so parliamentarians can discuss potential actions to protect people. 

An NDP spokesperson said if Fergus approves the request, the debate could happen as early as Monday evening, once the regularly scheduled sitting of Parliament is over. 

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to face the most serious challenge to his leadership to date.

Several media reports have detailed that a group of Liberal MPs plan to confront Trudeau at the party's Wednesday caucus meeting over sagging poll numbers and gloomy electoral prospects.

The precise strategy and breadth of the attempt to push Trudeau to resign remain unclear, though some MPs who spoke to The Canadian Press on background said the number of members involved is significant.

Trudeau could sidestep both problems by taking the controversial step of proroguing Parliament, which would end the session and set the stage for a fresh throne speech.

Some political watchers have also mused that would allow time for the Liberals to hold leadership race if Trudeau were to step down. 

The prime minister plans to soon shuffle his cabinet to replace four ministers who don't plan to run again in the next election.

A general election must be held by October next year, but it could come sooner if the Liberals lose the confidence of the House.

MORE National ARTICLES

B.C. to add 500 public electric vehicle charging stations to fill gaps in network

B.C. to add 500 public electric vehicle charging stations to fill gaps in network
Drivers of electric vehicles in British Columbia can expect another 500 public charging stations to come online, adding to more than 5,000 available across the province. A statement from the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation says it's providing $30 million from this year's budget to expand B.C.'s "electric highway."

B.C. to add 500 public electric vehicle charging stations to fill gaps in network

B.C. funds 2,000 new affordable homes for renters in Metro Vancouver

B.C. funds 2,000 new affordable homes for renters in Metro Vancouver
Premier David Eby made the announcement at a construction site in Surrey, B.C., on Tuesday, saying the latest intake of the Building BC Community Housing Fund will bring new homes to every region in the province.

B.C. funds 2,000 new affordable homes for renters in Metro Vancouver

Stabbing on bus in Surrey

Stabbing on bus in Surrey
Surrey RCMP are looking for a man who allegedly stabbed a person on a transit bus in the city. They say officers responded to find a man in his 20s suffering from stab wounds and he was transported to the hospital.

Stabbing on bus in Surrey

Alleged assault at Guildford Mall

Alleged assault at Guildford Mall
Mounties say firefighters called them to an event at Surrey’s Guildford Town Centre on Saturday night for a possible assault. They say officers were attempting to determine what had happened when a fight broke out.

Alleged assault at Guildford Mall

Abbotsford's Jaspreet Singh charged with second-degree murder in wife's death

Abbotsford's Jaspreet Singh charged with second-degree murder in wife's death
HIT says in a news release that officers from the Abbotsford Police Department responded to a report of an assault at a home in the city on Friday night. They arrived to find a woman, who has now been identified as 41-year-old Balwinder Kaur, suffering from life-threatening stab wounds inside the home.  

Abbotsford's Jaspreet Singh charged with second-degree murder in wife's death

Will Ottawa meet its fiscal target? Economists split as deficit tracks higher

Will Ottawa meet its fiscal target? Economists split as deficit tracks higher
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland has pledged that the government will meet its fiscal targets in the upcoming federal budget, but economists say achieving that goal will be challenging as the deficit tracks higher. Amid mounting pressure to rein in spending, the Liberals unveiled new fiscal guardrails in the fall that aim to limit deficits. Among the government's promises was that this year's deficit will not exceed $40.1 billion.

Will Ottawa meet its fiscal target? Economists split as deficit tracks higher