Canada - December 2024

Since late September, the business of the House of Commons has been brought to a halt due to a Conservative party filibuster of their own motion. As the motion relates to a question of privilege, it takes priority over all other matters. Key legislation on matters such as online harms, protection of nature, and First Nations’ clean water has been held up. The substance of the Conservative motion concerns an order for the government to turn over documentation to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) related to the management of a sustainable technology fund with which the Auditor General had found significant faults. Conservatives accuse the government of failing to comply fully, however, critics of the Conservative motion consider that it is outside the scope of the powers of the House of Commons to order the government to turn over documentation to the RCMP.

On 6 January, the Governor General approved the Prime Minister’s unrelated request to prorogue Parliament until 24 March. 

Sources: CBC (1), CBC (2), Toronto Star