House votes to meet in person once a week, despite Conservatives’ push to expand sittings
The government won a vote in the House of Commons Monday that will cause MPs to meet in the Chamber on Parliament Hill once a week. The Liberals had the support of the Bloc Québécois and the NDP for their motion, and won the vote 22-15, with just a small number of MPs on the […]
Hey Parliament, how about we take this online?
OTTAWA—There is an increasing amount of timely, and useful, discussion taking place about strategies for ensuring Canadians have an effective legislative branch of their government during the pandemic and its aftermath. This debate is being driven by the need for Parliament to exercise its oversight responsibilities and the necessity to have Members of Parliament “social […]
COVID-19 can’t end parliamentary scrutiny, say experts
With a unprecedented crisis, Canada could see an unprecedented Parliament. But despite the crisis, there still remains a place for Parliamentarians to scrutinize the government, experts say. Carleton University professor Philippe Lagassé, an expert on decision-making in the Westminster parliamentary system, said the role of Parliament is laid out in the Emergencies Act. The act […]
Construction work continues on Parliament Hill, with new precautions
Parliament is adjourned amid heightened self-isolation measures to try to “flatten the curve” of COVID-19’s spread, but construction work, including work related to the Centre Block building’s massive renovation, continues, albeit with some health and safety modifications. On March 12, all Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) staff, along with all employees working on current […]
‘It’s a different world we’re all living in’: vast majority of staff working remotely, focused on COVID-19 response
The vast majority of staff—from ministerial offices on the Hill to the constituency offices of Members of Parliament—are now working from home and busy working to answer high volumes of public queries and implement new measures being announced to help Canadians amid the COVID-19 outbreak. “I think that all of our offices are seeing high […]
BOIE settles on reno feedback forum, initial list of sacred Centre Block spaces to preserve
Before it adjourned amid COVID-19 precautions, the House of Commons’ Board of Internal Economy struck a new subcommittee to oversee Centre Block renovations and ruled out the possibility of expanding the existing House Chamber, among other things. Only representatives from recognized parties in the House—those with at least 12 sitting MPs—were involved in those decisions. […]
MPs considering joint House-Senate group to oversee Centre Block renovations
Members of Parliament are considering creating a joint group with Senators to oversee plans for Centre Block’s renovation, but not all MPs are convinced. The House of Commons’ Board of Internal Economy (BOIE) is holding a special meeting on March 12 to finalize plans for a new governance body to supervise the massive project to […]
MPs still figuring out feedback, as key decisions await Centre Block renovation project
Some “key decisions” have to be made soon in the massive project to renovate the Centre Block, but exactly how the House of Commons will ensure Members of Parliament get a chance to weigh in on plans—something Parliamentarians and officials alike have said was lacking in the West Block’s renovation—is still being ironed out. “We […]
Revamping Centre Block: virtual tools, new levels of collaboration put to use
Four times larger than the West Block renovation project, the mission to revamp the Centre Block building—and build a new underground facility alongside it—is no small feat, and to tackle it, officials have introduced new technologies and levels of collaboration. It’s a “complex project on multiple levels,” said Jennifer Garrett, director general of the Centre […]
Getting to know me: Gov. Gen. Payette breaks down her vice-regal role
The 98 newly elected Members of Parliament who recently started work undoubtedly know that Canada has a Governor General. While many may know that I currently hold this position, some may not know, in detail, what a Governor General does. So we invited the MPs just before I departed for Israel and Poland to attend […]
