The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, is facing accusations that his decision to provoke parliament is little more than an attempt to cover up an ethics scandal – and to step down from his duties during a pivotal moment in the pandemic.
On Tuesday afternoon, Trudeau asked Julie Payette, governor-general, to end the current parliamentary session prematurely. He promised to resume on September 23 with a speech from the throne, followed by a vote of confidence.
The move to “restore” the government because of Covid comes under scrutiny by commissions following the WE charity affair, in which Trudeau and former finance minister Bill Morneau are accused of having an indecent financial relationship with the international organization for development. Both men have apologized for not deciphering themselves amid apparent conflicts of interest.
Prorogation will stop all government companies, including the investigation.
Conservative leader Andrew Scheer called Trudeau “spinless” and said the prime minister was “talking about Canadians in the midst of a major health and economic crisis, in a disgusting attempt to oust Canadians from his [alleged] corruption “.
Jagmeet Singh, leader of the New Democrats, also questioned the timing of Trudeau’s decision.
“Closing Parliament in the midst of a pandemic and an economic crisis, with a planned sitting next week and committees working hard to get answers and solutions for Canadians, is wrong.”
The timing of prorogation is questionable even outside the WE affair, Singh pointed out.
With Cerb – Canada’s $ 2,000-a-month emergency assistance to citizens – ending Sept. 26, and with schools returning to class in the coming weeks, the country is at a particularly volatile point in its pandemic recovery.
In a news conference Tuesday, Trudeau sought to put a positive spin on the movement, saying his government would use the five weeks between now and the throne speech to restore the Liberal agenda.
“We take a moment to acknowledge that the throne speech we delivered eight months ago, not mentioning Covid-19, had no idea of the reality we are finding right now,” he told reporters in Ottawa.
He said his minority government would draw up a new ambitious plan that the pandemic was considering.
In a question-and-answer session with the media, he hammered out his intentions to deliver a green economic recovery plan for post-pandemic. He will also be expected to reveal details on how his government will support Canadians who are left-leaning and unemployed by Covid.
Prorogation, however, is a politically risky move, despite what it unveiled in September.
It has been overseen by former prime ministers, including Stephen Harper and Jean Chrétien, to prevent control of various financial and geopolitical scandals.
For the 2015 federal elections, the Liberals promised never to use the measure to “prevent difficult political circumstances”.
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