Close X
Friday, November 1, 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

B.C.'s provincial health officer says plan for virtual Easter, Ramadan, Passover

VICTORIA — British Columbia's top doctor says people who celebrate Easter, Passover, Ramadan and other religious holidays should plan now to safely participate virtually in their traditional ceremonies.

B.C.'s provincial health officer says plan for virtual Easter, Ramadan, Passover

Governments Start Looking At Longer-Term Measures To Slow Covid-19 Spread

Governments across Canada have begun implementing longer-term plans to fight the spread of COVID-19.    

Governments Start Looking At Longer-Term Measures To Slow Covid-19 Spread

COVID-19 Silver Lining: Experts Predict Innovation In Medicine, Education, Remote work

MONTREAL - Despite years of discussions between politicians and doctors, the Quebec government couldn't find a way to pay its general practitioners for phone and video consultations with patients.

COVID-19 Silver Lining: Experts Predict Innovation In Medicine, Education, Remote work

Goodale Appointed Special Adviser To Canada On Ukraine Airliner Crash In Iran

OTTAWA - Former Liberal cabinet minister Ralph Goodale has been named a special adviser to the Trudeau government into Iran's downing of a commercial airliner in January.    

Goodale Appointed Special Adviser To Canada On Ukraine Airliner Crash In Iran

New Ventilators Promised In Days As Industrial Response To Covid-19 Kicks In

OTTAWA - Millions of masks and thousands of ventilators have been ordered by the federal government to shore up the national stockpile of supplies needed to treat and fight COVID-19.    

New Ventilators Promised In Days As Industrial Response To Covid-19 Kicks In

Transparency On Covid-19 Response Crucial: Former Public Safety Minister Goodale

OTTAWA - Governments must be as transparent as possible with Canadians about response measures for COVID-19, says former Liberal public safety minister Ralph Goodale.    

Transparency On Covid-19 Response Crucial: Former Public Safety Minister Goodale