Close X
Wednesday, November 6, 2024
ADVT 
National

Tories want Parliament declared 'essential service,' regular House sittings

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 22 May, 2020 04:51 PM
  • Tories want Parliament declared 'essential service,' regular House sittings

Opposition Leader Andrew Scheer wants Parliament declared an essential service so a reduced number of MPs can resume their House of Commons duties amid the COVID-19 crisis.

Scheer says his Conservatives are proposing a motion to do that because he says daily briefings by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau from his home are not good enough to hold the government accountable.

He says MPs need to be able to ask questions on behalf of their constituents across the country.

Scheer says today that up to 50 MPs should be allowed in the House for "normal" sittings, starting Monday, and that 18 of them should be Conservatives, proportionate to his party's standings in the full 338-member chamber.

Currently, the Commons has turned into a special COVID-19 committee, meeting three times a week, twice virtually and once in person.

Trudeau says he wants to see a functioning Parliament, and is open to a "hybrid" model where some MPs could participate via videoconferencing.

MORE National ARTICLES

ICBC Profits Should Not Be Used To Cover Other Government Costs: NDP

British Columbia's NDP government wants to prohibit future governments from using profits earned by the province's public auto insurer to cover other expenses.

ICBC Profits Should Not Be Used To Cover Other Government Costs: NDP

Aging, Growing Population Mean More Cancer Cases In Canada: Study

A technician holds a mesh bag full of marbles meant to represent breast tissue, pointing out a single black marble among the clear ones. The goal is to explain why a woman's breasts are compressed during a mammogram.

Aging, Growing Population Mean More Cancer Cases In Canada: Study

Work On Coastal Gaslink Pipeline To Resume Following Draft Agreement

Work is expected to resume today on a natural gas pipeline in British Columbia that has been at the centre of protests that have disrupted both rail and road traffic in many parts of the country.

Work On Coastal Gaslink Pipeline To Resume Following Draft Agreement

Museum of Surrey’s Latest Exhibition Explores How We’re All Connected to the Arctic

A scientific and cultural journey to the Arctic is the theme of a new travelling exhibition opening Thursday, March 5 at the Museum of Surrey.

Museum of Surrey’s Latest Exhibition Explores How We’re All Connected to the Arctic

Decade-Long Health Care Battle Draws To A Close Today In British Columbia

Dr. Brian Day began his battle a decade ago against the British Columbia government.    

Decade-Long Health Care Battle Draws To A Close Today In British Columbia

Pipeline Talks With Hereditary Chiefs Resume For Second Day In Northern B.C.

SMITHERS, B.C. - The hereditary chiefs of the Wet'suwet'en meet for a second day with senior federal and provincial ministers today as they try to break an impasse in a pipeline dispute that's sparked national protests and led to disruptions in the economy.

Pipeline Talks With Hereditary Chiefs Resume For Second Day In Northern B.C.