Close X
Friday, November 1, 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

34 year old charged with numerous firearms charges: Surrey RCMP

34 year old charged with numerous firearms charges: Surrey RCMP
R-C-M-P in Surrey say a 34-year-old man has been charged with multiple offences after an investigation that began with a traffic stop last week. The Mounties say two men were arrested after an officer from New Westminster stopped a vehicle that had been driving erratically just after 2 a-m last Thursday.

34 year old charged with numerous firearms charges: Surrey RCMP

Pedestrian struck in Vancouver in serious collision, VPD seeking witnesses

Pedestrian struck in Vancouver in serious collision, VPD seeking witnesses
Vancouver police are looking for witnesses to a serious collision on the city's west side that sent a pedestrian to hospital with life-altering injuries. Police say a 57-year-old woman was at the crosswalk of Arbutus Street and West 33rd Avenue Tuesday afternoon when she was struck by a red Mini Cooper.   

Pedestrian struck in Vancouver in serious collision, VPD seeking witnesses

Calgary man found not criminally responsible for five stabbing deaths faces review

Calgary man found not criminally responsible for five stabbing deaths faces review
A lawyer for an Alberta man found not criminally responsible for killing five young people at a Calgary house party is asking the province's review board to release him on an absolute discharge. A hearing has heard that Matthew de Grood had several two-week unescorted passes from an Edmonton group home over the last year to visit his parents in Calgary.

Calgary man found not criminally responsible for five stabbing deaths faces review

Lifetime cost of Canada's F-35 fighter jets is $73.9B: parliamentary budget officer

Lifetime cost of Canada's F-35 fighter jets is $73.9B: parliamentary budget officer
Canada will pay an estimated $73.9 billion to buy, fly and maintain its new fleet of F-35 fighter jets, the parliamentary budget officer said Thursday. Yves Giroux said his independent analysis of the procurement project is "broadly in line" with the government's own estimates from January, which said the cost would be around $70 billion.

Lifetime cost of Canada's F-35 fighter jets is $73.9B: parliamentary budget officer

Appeal dismissal for 3 pot log smugglers

Appeal dismissal for 3 pot log smugglers
Three men accused of trying to smuggle more than 300 kilograms of pot into California in hollowed-out logs will not be allowed to appeal their case to the Supreme Court of Canada. Todd Ferguson, Daniel Joinson and Shane Fraser were arrested after the doctored logs were identified at a log home manufacturing company in California in 2006.

Appeal dismissal for 3 pot log smugglers

Large fentanyl bust in Mission

Large fentanyl bust in Mission
A call to Mission R-C-M-P about shots fired in the Hatzic Valley has resulted in the dismantling of a large fentanyl operation. Police say they were called in October to a report of gunshots heard and when they arrived they found several spent bullet casings, but confirmed no one on the property was injured. 

Large fentanyl bust in Mission