NDP house leader laments 'agents of chaos' in precarious Parliament
NDP House leader Peter Julian said there's more work his party wants to get done in the House of Commons before the next election, despite how chaotic the first weeks of the fall sitting have been.
But if other parties make that work impossible, it could factor into the NDP's voting decisions, he said Friday.
In just three weeks, two Conservative non-confidence motions have failed to bring down the Liberal government — but the Opposition promises more to come.
The New Democrats have said they will decide how to vote on those motions on a case-by-case basis based on what they believe is in the best interests of Canadians.
"We think all parliamentarians should be stepping up at this difficult time so that Canadians get the benefit of support from the federal government," Julian said in an interview.
"Primarily our focus should be on Canadians, and if it becomes apparent that the Liberals and Conservatives are not focused on that, then we'll take that into consideration when we make our decisions."
Julian's constituents have told him they are not interested in an election now, he said, but the party plans to take each decision as it comes.
He accused the Conservatives of being "agents of chaos" in the House of Commons after the government's legislative agenda ground to a halt this week.
The House has been mired in debate over a matter of privilege that has superseded most other business.
It stems from an order from the House of Commons for the government to produce unredacted documents related to misspent government funds so they can be handed over to the RCMP.
House Speaker Greg Fergus ruled last Thursday that the government "clearly did not fully comply" with the order, which is related to a now-defunct foundation responsible for doling out hundreds of millions of federal dollars for green technology projects.
In his ruling, Fergus said the issue is complicated and should be referred to a committee for study.
Liberal House leader Karina Gould says the demand is an abuse of Parliamentary powers, which should not infringe on the rights of Canadians to due process.
"This is an extremely alarming precedent that they are setting," she said in an interview Friday.
Conservative House leader Andrew Scheer says the state of affairs was "self-inflicted" by the Liberals, and it will continue until the government hands the documents over to police.
For their part, the RCMP have said they are investigating the foundation, but would not likely be able to use the documents in a criminal case even if the House provided them.
In the meantime, members of Parliament have accomplished very little.
The government has so far rescheduled a vote on changes to the capital gains tax three times, and each time it has been overtaken by debate about the documents.
Those tax changes are already in effect, but if the House were to fall before the legislation was passed, it would make it much simpler for a future government to retract them.
Similarly, long-awaited bills on clean drinking water for First Nations and citizenship rights for Canadians born abroad have not moved forward.
If the opposition parties team up to vote down the government, any bills that have not received royal assent will die on the order paper.
Gould said the Conservatives are "holding up pieces of legislation that matter to Canadians and it will have a direct impact on their lives."
Scheer said Thursday it appears the government would rather see Parliament "seized up" than comply with the House's order to hand over the documents.
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May agreed the government should hand over the documents, but suggested during the debate that Canadians would be "heartened" to see the parties work together to send the issue to committee "so that we can get on with some bills that need to be passed."
The NDP's primary focus this fall has been to see through the passage and royal assent of pharmacare legislation. That bill was a key part of the supply-and-confidence deal with the Liberals, before the NDP ended out the pact last month.
It cleared a major hurdle on Thursday when it passed through a Senate committee without amendments. It's expected to be up for a third reading vote in the upper chamber next week.
But Julian said there are other things the NDP wants to accomplish, including consumer protection measures to prevent price gouging at the grocery store.
He said the New Democrats plan to proceed as they did during the pandemic to get people more support, but the Liberals will need to show leadership.
"We'll endeavour to do the same thing to benefit Canadians in the fall. But it is an open question," he said.
Gould says long privilege debates are not unheard of, and she believes the government will be in a position to get the House working again soon.
"Sometimes they take up a week in the House, sometimes they take up a month in the House, and sometimes they take up a day," she said.
"I think now it's kind of up to the other parties to determine how long to go on for, and whether they want to get to work as well."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 4, 2024.
IN DEPTH
Jagmeet Singh pulls NDP out of deal with Trudeau Liberals, takes aim at Poilievre Conservatives
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has pulled his party out of the supply-and-confidence agreement that had been helping keep Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority Liberals in power.
'Not the result we wanted': Trudeau responds after surprise Conservative byelection win in Liberal stronghold
Conservative candidate Don Stewart winning the closely-watched Toronto-St. Paul's federal byelection, and delivering a stunning upset to Justin Trudeau's candidate Leslie Church in the long-time Liberal riding, has sent political shockwaves through both parties.
'We will go with the majority': Liberals slammed by opposition over proposal to delay next election
The federal Liberal government learned Friday it might have to retreat on a proposal within its electoral reform legislation to delay the next vote by one week, after all opposition parties came out to say they can't support it.
Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trudeau and Harris? Poilievre and Trump? Here's who Canadians think would work best with: survey
As Americans prepare to elect their next president on Tuesday, new data from the Angus Reid Institute suggests Canadians hold differing views as to which federal party leaders would be best suited to deal with either Donald Trump or Kamala Harris.
B.C. port employers launch lockout at terminals in labour dispute with workers
Employers at British Columbia ports say they are going ahead with locking out more than 700 foremen across the province after strike activities from union members began.
Months after VRBO booking, Taylor Swift fan told home 'not available' during Vancouver concert
A frustrated Taylor Swift fan is speaking out after being pushed from a short-term rental she booked for the upcoming Vancouver leg of the superstar’s Eras Tour.
Felonies, assassination attempts and a last-minute change on the ticket leads voters to Tuesday's U.S. election
A campaign that has careened through a felony trial, incumbent being pushed off the ticket and assassination attempts comes down to Election Day on Tuesday.
Measles cases in New Brunswick more than double in three days
A measles outbreak declared in New Brunswick’s Zone 3 last week, which includes Fredericton and the upper Saint John River Valley, has more than doubled since last week.
Prison sentences handed down for sexually abusive London, Ont. parents
In handing down the sentences for two London parents, Justice Thomas Heeney told the court, "The facts of this case were the most egregious that I have encountered during my 26 years on the bench."
She was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes about a year ago. Here's how her condition was reversed
A year ago, Lorraine O'Quinn was coping with stress, chronic illness and Type 2 diabetes. Then she discovered a health program that she says changed her life.
Surprise swing state? Iowa poll has Harris suddenly leading
Based on victories in the past two elections and polls leading up to Tuesday’s election, Donald Trump had seemed almost certain to win Iowa, but a new poll has Kamala Harris with a sudden three-point lead.
Russia suspected of sending incendiary devices on US- and Canada-bound planes, Wall Street Journal reports
Incendiary devices that ignited in Germany and the United Kingdom in July were part of a covert Russian operation that aimed to start fires aboard cargo and passenger flights heading to the U.S. and Canada, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported Monday, citing Western security officials.
Local Spotlight
10K hand-knit poppies displayed at the Dartmouth Cenotaph
Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.
'I put my whole life on hold': B.C. man embarks on Arctic to Antarctica trek
A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.
Windsor teen's shredded pepperoni pizza post goes viral
A Windsor teen’s social media post showing off a distinctive Windsor pizza topping has gone viral, drawing millions of views worldwide and sparking new curiosity about Windsor-style pizza.
'You look like me': 7-year-old who went viral for his Auston Matthews Halloween costume meets Leafs star
Auston Matthews has come face to face with his look-alike. On Thursday, the Maple Leafs star met seven-year-old Grayson Joseph, who went viral for dressing up as an Auston Matthews hockey card.
'You never know what you're going to find': Halifax junk remover shares some of his company's strangest discoveries
A Halifax junk remover shares some of his company’s strangest discoveries.
'Smiles per gallon': B.C. man creates Canadian-themed art car with stuffed moose on roof
When Leah arrived at work directing traffic around a construction site, she never expected to see a van painted in all sorts of bright colours, and covered in eclectic decorations, including a stuffed moose attached to its roof.
Guelph, Ont. charitable bike repairs halted due to bylaw complaint
After 14 years of repairing and selling bicycles out of the garage of her home, a Guelph, Ont. woman’s efforts have ended – for now, at least.
More than 20,000 goldfish removed from Edmonton stormwater pond
Epcor says it has removed more than 20,000 goldfish from an Edmonton stormwater pond.
Witches and warlocks take to the water across New Brunswick
Witches and warlocks have been flocking to New Brunswick waterways this month, as a new Halloween tradition ripples across the province.