(Ottawa) The rag is burning between the Liberals and the Conservatives. To Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who on Wednesday accused the opposition of blocking a consensus on the opening of a public inquiry, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre replies that it is a lie.
“Justin Trudeau is lying when he accuses the Conservatives of blocking the consensus on a public inquiry into Beijing’s interference,” protested the leader of the official opposition in a press release sent Thursday afternoon.
He assures that “the Conservatives have asked every day this week to meet to confirm an agreement, but neither [le ministre] Dominic LeBlanc or his office has not answered the phone or an email in the five days since Friday,” he added.
“The Conservatives are sitting by their phones waiting for the Prime Minister’s decision. Lying, delaying and blaming others won’t change that. It is he, and he alone, who has the power to open an investigation. Let him do it today, ”said Pierre Poilievre.
The day before, the Prime Minister affirmed that the negotiations were difficult, and he attributed the responsibility to the Conservative Party: “We are having very good conversations with the Bloc Québécois and the NDP, we are moving towards a consensus. But for the moment, it is the conservatives who continue to block the process”.
According to the version presented Thursday in Pierre Poilievre’s press release, the “latest proposed mandate [d’une enquête publique] was discussed”, and “it was agreed that we would meet again at the beginning of the week to confirm the final wording”, it reads.
However, since then, it has been radio silence. Minister LeBlanc’s office has asked for more time, “because they still don’t have an answer on whether to proceed with the investigation that has been discussed with the parties,” pleaded the leader. Poilievre.
Minister Dominic LeBlanc has been given the mandate to lead negotiations with the parliamentary leaders of all parties in the House of Commons, namely Andrew Scheer (Conservative Party), Alain Therrien (Bloc Québécois) and Peter Julian (New Democratic Party).
The Bloc Québécois declined to comment.
As for Minister LeBlanc, he is currently in Japan for a meeting with his G7 counterparts.