Dan Albas MP
  • Home
  • MP Report
  • About Dan
  • What Seniors Need To Know
  • Contact
  • Constituency Services
  • Dan in Ottawa
  • Disclosure
  • Videos
  • Home
  • MP Report
  • About Dan
  • What Seniors Need To Know
  • Contact
  • Constituency Services
  • Dan in Ottawa
  • Disclosure
  • Videos

MP Report

Diminished Parliament means diminished accountability for Canadians

5/27/2020

3 Comments

 
Picture
​This has been a highly unusual time in Ottawa.

Last week the leader of the Bloc Quebecois threatened the Trudeau Liberal government.

What was the threat?

That the Bloc would not support resuming regular in-person sittings of the House of Commons unless Prime Minister Trudeau agreed to a number of Bloc demands.

Not to be outdone, the NDP also used the threat of returning to regular Parliament as a bargaining chip against Prime Minister Trudeau.

In the case of the NDP, they offered to support continuing the suspension of Parliament in exchange for the Liberal Government attempting to implement mandatory paid sick leave for employees.

As you may have heard, the Trudeau Liberal Government, desperately not wanting regular sittings of Parliament to resume, accepted the NDP terms and are currently having discussions with the provinces and territories.

The reason why there are discussions, or more likely negotiations, is because, with the exception of federally regulated workplaces, the vast majority of Canadian workers full under provincial labour legislation. 

It is deeply troubling that both the Bloc and the NDP used the resumption of regular sittings of Parliament as a bargaining chip against Prime Minister Trudeau.

While the NDP are claiming a victory for their efforts to derail regular sittings of Parliament in return for a commitment for mandatory paid sick leave, there is an inconvenient truth that the NDP is avoiding.

Had regular sessions of Parliament resumed, the NDP could have introduced mandatory sick leave as an opposition day motion, where it could be properly discussed and debated on the floor of the House of Commons.

Already during this Parliament there have been Opposition Day motions that have been passed despite the minority Liberal Government voting against them.

Not only are there no Opposition Day motions, there will also be no private member’s business as well as a loss of other Parliamentary debates and discussions.

All of this will be in effect until September 21st of this year, where the same political bargaining situation could resume.

Let's be honest, this was not a health and safety related deal between the NDP Opposition and the Liberal Government.

MP's will continue to sit in Ottawa, in person, four days a week from now until June.

The difference is, that instead of sitting in regular Parliament for those four days, MP's will instead continue to sit as part of the special COVID-19 committee.

As mentioned previously, the special COVID-19 committee meetings have limitations for opposition parties as well as for individual Members of Parliament.

I will state publicly that I am deeply disappointed in the NDP, who have denied the Official Opposition from being able to fully hold this Liberal government to account.

The job that voters sent us to do, to raise concerns on their behalf in Ottawa, is now seriously limited.

If the NDP did not want to do the job voters elected them to do, they could have remained at home in their ridings and allowed the Official Opposition to hold the Government to account.

Instead they cut a deal that diminishes our role to hold the government accountable during a critical time in Canadian history.

My question this week:

What are your thoughts on this?

I can be reached at Dan.Albas@parl.gc.ca or call toll free 1-800-665-8711. 
3 Comments
Alex Kalmar
5/27/2020 03:23:57 pm

why are the opposition parties using this as a way of circumventing the democratic process. What the hell is happening to our Canadian democracy. Lying, deal making crooked SOB's. I thought that a minority government would be held to task by the orher parties. Guess I am naive. J continue to be furious over the use of OIC.

Reply
Louise Graham
5/28/2020 09:44:57 am

Extremely disappointed in NDP and Jagmeet Singh. Basically derailing our political accountability. Not a hero in my books. So he is in fact demanding 10 paid sick leave days per year for each and every worker in Canada. This guy is a clown. . unaware of cost of doing business. I thought NDP were in love and in bed with unions. My union was proud to negotiate 4 sick days a year.

Reply
Heinz F Patzke
6/5/2020 09:28:47 pm

It is very sad to see this happen, but what do you expect from our so called Prime Minister. He has been doing a lot of shady deals. He must have learned that from his father. I think the NDP lost a lot of votes because of this shady deal. We Canadians should wake up before it is to late!!!
I

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Subscribe to the MP Report

    Sign up now to get Dan's weekly MP report emailed directly to you! 
    OR
    Sign up now to get a monthly MP Report mailed directly to your home.
    Subscribe Here

    Author

    Dan Albas is the Member of Parliament  for the riding of Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola.
    ​
    Communicating with his constituents is one of his top priorities. Dan writes a new MP Report each week.

    Archives

    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    July 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

​Dan Albas is the proud Member of Parliament for 
Central Okanagan – Similkameen – Nicola
Subscribe to Dan's MP Report
Contact Dan
Photos used under Creative Commons from comedy_nose, bulliver, FutUndBeidl, scazon, Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee, Chris Lancaster, Jamie In Bytown, mikecogh, couloir