The new session of parliament is not yet a week old, and it is already mired in shenanigans, and this government is the author of so many of its current misfortunes. Right out of the gate, the Liberals declared Bill C-4 to be a matter of confidence and invoked closure – not time allocation, but actual closure – which of course ate up hours in debate on the motion followed by an hour-long vote. They got their closure motion because the NDP sided with them, but wait – the Conservatives moved a motion to concur in a (problematic) report from the Ethics Commissioner about former MP Joe Peschisolido, citing that he broke the Conflict of Interest Code for MPs, and said motion would also call on Peschisolido to write a formal apology to the Commons. This motion passed with NDP support, which further delayed the debate on C-4, thanks to more hour-long votes, and C-4 wasn’t expected to pass until at least 3 AM (by which time this blog has been put to bed). And to think that this could have been avoided by a) not proroguing for five weeks, and b) not ham-fistedly ramming more legislation through the Parliament. But this government seems intent on not learning any lessons.

As for that Ethics Commissioner’s report, well, it shouldn’t actually exist, because Peschisolido hasn’t been an MP for over a year, and he’s not covered by the Conflict of Interest Act because he wasn’t a public office-holder. As an MP, he was subject to the MPs’ Conflict of Interest Code, which is part of the Standing Orders, and thus not applicable to him since he’s no longer an MP, and Mario Dion doesn’t seem to grasp this basic and fundamental fact that is at the heart of his duties. This is a problem (and the former Commons Law Clerk agrees). Also, calling Peschisolido to apologise to the House is also a problem, given the report is out of order and the Commons doesn’t actually have the power to compel him. So, yeah. This is not a good look for anyone.

Ethics Commissioner Dion makes another big mistake. He says in the Peschilido Report, "In this inquiry, I must determine whether Mr. Peschisolido, while he was the Member of Parliament for Steveston–Richmond East, contravened subsections 20(1) and 21(3) of the Code". NO! The MPs'

— B. Thomas Hall (@ThomasHall17) September 29, 2020

order. Dion is treating the Code as if it were an Act of Parliament, but it isn't. I was Clerk of PROC when Code was drafted and I made certain it was part of Stdg Orders so that it did not have effect outside the House itself. Dion doesn't get it. #cdnpoli #ConflictofInterest

— B. Thomas Hall (@ThomasHall17) September 29, 2020

It could then bring him to the bar of the House to apologize, which is something they want to avoid bc it would look like bullying.

— B. Thomas Hall (@ThomasHall17) September 29, 2020

Meanwhile, down the street, the Canadian Senators Group is completely fed up with having bills rammed down their throats with no time for them to actually do their jobs and study them or offering amendments, because everything is an “emergency.” To that end, they will be moving a motion in the Senate that until the end of the pandemic, all legislation will require a minimum of one week’s worth of debate in the Senate before it will be passed. It’s bold – but they are absolutely right to insist on it. I can easily see both the Conservatives and the Progressive caucuses in the Senate signing on, but the real question will be the Independent Senators Group, and how many of them will feel beholden to the prime minister. Trudeau gets to reap what he’s sown with his “independent” Senate, and I’m quite hoping that this makes him as uncomfortable as possible.

At least one caucus in the Senate is done with this government’s abuse of process in ramming bills through. We’ll see how much support this motion gets from the other caucuses. #SenCA #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/zHDsJzVEQW

— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) September 29, 2020

Good reads:

• Justin Trudeau has pledged an additional $400 million in international assistance to fight the global pandemic.
• The federal government has signed a deal to procure millions of rapid COVID tests – but they haven’t been approved by Health Canada yet.
• Canada and the UK have imposed sanctions on the president of Belarus and his top officials for the fraudulent election results in that country.
• The government tabled a bill to make September 30^th a federal holiday as National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, which coincides with “Orange Shirt Day.”
• The PBO tabled a report that says that the current deficit levels are sustainable – barely – with more spending on the way.
• The Federal Court ruled that a gay man and a straight woman who have a child together can be considered in a conjugal relationship for immigration purposes.
• Here’s a look into Erin O’Toole’s political calculations in always talking about “Communist China.”
• One of Erin O’Toole’s fundraising letters apparently plagiarized content from Peter MacKay’s website, so that’s going well.
• Former Conservative MP Rob Anders has been charged with tax evasion, for years when he was an MP. (Also, Conservatives can’t claim only Liberals break the law).
• Saskatchewan is now officially in their writ period for their provincial election.
• Heather Scoffield worries that all of the money spent bailing out the economy in the first wave is going to be for naught if the second wave can’t be controlled.
• Colby Cosh delves into the questions surrounding a proposed Alberta-to-Alaska railroad, and its prospect as a “escape hatch” for bitumen shipments.
• My column looks at how poorly the current “hybrid” parliament and voting is going, and suggests that it’s time to do what the NHL did, and have Parliament bubble.

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