The Canadian Press
Joan Bryden
OTTAWA–The Trudeau government is suggesting a number of reforms to parliamentary rules it says would make the operation of the House of Commons more accountable, predictable, efficient, and transparent.
But opposition parties already are warning the proposed modernization will make it harder for them to hold the government to account.
Allowing MPs to vote electronically, and doing away with Friday sittings, are among the ideas floated in a discussion paper tabled by government House leader Bardish Chagger.
The paper also suggests setting aside special question periods in which MPs could direct all their queries to the prime minister, as is done in the U.K. and as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised during the 2015 election campaign.
The paper revives a number of other campaign promises, including proposals to limit the abuse of omnibus bills and prorogation of Parliament.
It also suggests a greater role for independent MPs on Commons’ committees and adoption of alternative approaches to managing the amount of time allowed for debate on bills without the government having to impose time allocation or closure.
Chagger is asking the procedure and House affairs committee to consider the ideas contained in the discussion paper.
Scott Simms, a Liberal member of the committee, has given notice of a motion to have the committee report back on the paper by June 2.
The committee already has considered a number of the ideas in the past, but declined to act on them.
In a report just last June, it reported it could find no consensus on eliminating Friday sittings, with some MPs in favour and others concerned it would reduce the ability of opposition MPs to hold the government to account.
It thus made no recommendation on the matter.
Similarly, it considered but made no recommendation on the idea of electronic voting.
Chagger did not directly respond when asked why she believes the committee will come to different conclusions this time.
“I know that there’s a better way and a more productive way that we could function in this place,” she replied in an interview.
“As members of Parliament, we have a responsibility to work together to make this place more modern . . . I believe this conversation is long overdue.”
The discussion paper suggests plans to move the Commons into Parliament Hill’s West Block next year while the Centre Block is under renovation creates “an excellent opportunity” to implement a pilot project using electronic voting.
It suggests the time currently allotted for Friday sittings could be reapportioned to other days, including lost time for question period.
Consideration also could be given to expanding the number of days the Commons sits each year, starting earlier in January, sitting later in June, and starting earlier in September.
The paper does not propose to prohibit prorogation of Parliament as a way to avoid “politically-difficult situations”–such as former prime minister Stephen Harper’s 2008 decision to prorogue to avoid a confidence vote.
Rather, it suggests the government could be required, upon Parliament’s return, to issue a report explaining its reasons for proroguing, with that report then subject to committee study and Commons’ debate.
Similarly, it does not suggest outright outlawing the use of omnibus bills, where dozens of unrelated legislative changes are crammed into one massive bill.
Instead, it proposes giving the Commons’ Speaker the authority to allow separate votes on different sections of omnibus bills, which also could be sent for study to separate committees.
