OTTAWA – Routine proceedings get underway today in the House of Commons as members of Parliament begin to digest the government’s throne speech.
But the events of the day are likely to be anything but routine.
The Opposition New Democrats are expected to immediately employ a procedural tactic to keep the Senate spending scandal in the spotlight.
The NDP says it will raise a point of privilege as soon as the House of Commons opens, asking Speaker Andrew Scheer to find that Prime Minister Stephen Harper misled Parliament over what he knew about his former chief of staff’s $90,000 bailout of Sen. Mike Duffy.
Video: Breaking down the Throne Speech
The opposition parties will also have more opportunities to ask the prime minister about Senate spending when question period resumes in the Commons (2:15 p.m. ET).
As well, information commissioner Suzanne Legault, who recently called for a beefing up of Canada’s Access to Information Act, will table her annual report to Parliament and hold a news conference afterward (11 a.m. ET).
Of note for the business world, Statistics Canada will issue a number of releases, on international transactions in securities for August, investment in non-residential building construction for the third quarter and travel between Canada and other countries for August.
The Supreme Court of Canada will also issue a number of appeal decisions, including one involving an Ontario construction blasting company that was charged under the Environmental Protection Act after rock from a blast damaged a house and a car.
Comments