Conservatives delay debate on NDP motion in House of Commons
The House of Commons was once again a battleground on Friday as the Conservatives delayed debate on an NDP opposition day motion. This came just a day after the New Democrats disrupted the Tories’ own opposition day.
The NDP had planned to introduce a motion urging the government to extend the upcoming GST break to include what they consider to be “essentials” such as prepared foods at grocery stores, home heating, and cellphone and internet bills. Additionally, the motion called for the expansion of the proposed $250 “working Canadians rebate” to include fully retired seniors, individuals on disability benefits, and others who did not have employment income in 2023 – a condition set by the Liberal government for the rebate.
However, Conservative deputy leader Melissa Lantsman raised a point of privilege regarding a recent protest where three NDP members expressed support for protesters who had blocked MPs from carrying out their duties. This led to a significant portion of the debate time being consumed by discussions related to the protest.
This incident was just the latest in a series of procedural maneuvers by opposition parties in the House of Commons. The previous day, the NDP had delayed debate on a Conservative non-confidence motion by diverting the discussion to abortion instead.
The House adjourned for the week shortly before 2 p.m. on Friday, with Deputy Speaker Chris d’Entremont announcing that the debate on the privilege motion would resume on Monday. Votes on both the NDP GST motion and the Conservative non-confidence motion are scheduled for that day.
The House of Commons has been deadlocked for weeks, primarily due to a filibuster initiated by the Conservatives concerning a privilege debate on unredacted documents related to a green technology fund. The government has provided redacted versions of the documents, citing privacy concerns, and has refused to hand over unredacted copies to Parliament and the RCMP. The Tories have vowed to continue the filibuster until the documents are released or the NDP agrees to bring down the government.
Despite the ongoing gridlock, House Speaker Greg Fergus recently intervened to pause the filibuster and allocate time for opposition business and a vote on supplementary spending. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has stated that he will not support the latest Conservative non-confidence motion, as the NDP and Bloc Quebecois have previously voted against similar motions to topple the government.
The political drama in the House of Commons continues to unfold, with opposing parties engaging in strategic maneuvers to advance their agendas and gain an upper hand in the ongoing debates and discussions. As the government seeks approval for significant spending measures, the fate of key motions and the overall stability of the government remain uncertain.
