Liberals won’t prorogue Parliament as impasse over green tech fund documents drags on

By Mia Rabson, The Canadian Press on October 8, 2024.

OTTAWA – Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland says the government has no intention of proroguing Parliament to end an impasse with the Tories over a matter of privilege.

At a news conference today she gave a concise “no” when asked if the Liberals were talking about proroguing, which would immediately end the current session until the government returns with a new throne speech.

Parliament is now in an eighth straight sitting day of debating a Conservative motion related to a demand for the Liberals to provide unredacted documents about misspending at a now-defunct green technology fund.

House Speaker Greg Fergus on Sept. 26 ruled that there was a case for privilege but that the matter is complicated because the motion calls for the documents to be handed over to the RCMP.

He also said the matter should all be referred to a parliamentary committee for further discussion.

RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme told the House of Commons law clerk in July that the force likely could not use any of the records because they had not been secured using the legal obligations required for criminal investigations.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 8, 2024.

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