OTTAWA | The Liberals and the Conservatives were still unable to agree on Sunday on how to reopen Parliament on Monday.
• Read also: All the developments of the pandemic
On the one hand, Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is proposing a resumption of parliamentary business at the rate of only one session per week, with the addition of virtual sessions if the technological tools are available. On the other, Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer calls for more than one session per week.
“We are very concerned that we do not have an agreement with all the opposition parties not to come back tomorrow morning. The situation is that Parliament is supposed to resume tomorrow morning with 338 deputies […]. Obviously, we are not in a situation where it should happen, “said Mr. Trudeau during his daily press conference outside his residence at Rideau Cottage.
–
–
Justin Trudeau also admitted to being “a little frustrated” by the difficulties encountered during negotiations on the resumption of parliamentary business with the Conservative Party. “The Conservatives are resisting this reasonable solution,” he said, alluding to betting on one sitting a week with a small number of members of the House of Commons and possibly putting in place a virtual Parliament.
“Most of the parties agree. It is only the Conservatives who risk forcing us to return to 338 members tomorrow morning, ”lamented Trudeau.
Minimum team
“This is completely wrong […] It is only trying to put pressure on the opposition parties, “reacted Andrew Scheer in the early afternoon.
The latter proposes to resume parliamentary work with a reduced quota of deputies, as during the two emergency sessions held in recent weeks. He also argued that, if no agreement is reached on Sunday, his party will return to the Commons on Monday with a reduced number of deputies.
“I sincerely believe that Parliament is an essential service. […] We have seen bad decisions made and we need to hold the government accountable for those decisions so they don’t repeat themselves, “said Scheer, referring to the delay in closing the border, he said, and the donation of medical equipment that has not been replaced.
Scheer also accused Justin Trudeau of governing by hiding behind his daily press conferences. “It is clear that in the House of Commons, the Prime Minister must answer questions that are difficult for him, but necessary for Canadians,” he argued.
Military deployment
The Prime Minister has also announced that the Canadian Rangers will be deployed even further on the Lower North Shore, notably at Natashquan, to help the Quebec authorities control non-essential movements due to the COVID pandemic. 19.
“Together, we will get through. But even if we record some encouraging trends, we are not going to tell stories. Thousands of families across the country are going through excruciating times, heartbreaking stories, “said Justin Trudeau, before again urging Canadians to stay home as much as possible to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Mr. Trudeau also admitted that he does not know when deconfinement can begin in Canada. “We have to be really careful, do it the right way and do it gradually,” he warned.
–
