(Ottawa) Government House Leader Mark Holland accuses the Conservatives of obstructing the quick creation of a committee to study the use of Emergency Measures Act.
Posted at 10:47 a.m.
In a written statement posted on Twitter on Friday, the elected Liberal maintains that Candice Bergen’s troops are stubborn with an “unreasonable” proposal, namely that a Conservative parliamentarian co-chair the committee both in the Senate and in the House. of the municipalities.
The provisions of the Emergency Measures Act provide for the establishment of a joint committee between the Upper House and the Lower House to examine the ways in which last resort legislation has been used.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau signaled on Wednesday that he wants the committee to be created early next week.
However, Mr. Holland reports on Friday stumbling blocks in the necessary discussions with the opposition parties – more specifically with the Conservatives – to determine the exact composition of this group of parliamentarians.
“We are working tirelessly to put together an important committee that will represent hundreds of MPs and senators from multiple parties and groups. However, the Conservatives insist that they are the only ones to lead this committee,” laments the leader of the House of Commons of the government.
“There are four recognized groups in the Senate, which has 85 senators. The Conservatives, with 16 of these senators, insist that one of their senators be on the committee and that there are no other senators from other groups in the Senate,” he adds.
Mr. Holland says he is ready to submit another avenue to the votes of the 338 members of the Commons, which he describes as a “proposal for a more reasonable and more balanced composition of the committee”.
“Canadians deserve quick action on this committee-we need to establish it without delay.” […] It is time to put partisanship aside and work in collaboration with the other members of the Chamber,” he concludes.