Scheer, Trudeau disagree over House of Commons return; Senate suspended

The Senate will not resume sitting until June 2 at the earliest due to the coronavirus pandemic, but it was unclear Friday when and how the House of Commons would return.

The Senate was slated to come back Tuesday, but the office of the Speaker of the upper chamber said it was decided to extend the current adjournment to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

“The Senate’s priority remains the health, safety and well-being of all Canadians and it is taking every precaution to protect senators and staff as they carry out their duties,” the office said in a statement.

The work of three Senate committees will continue by videoconference or teleconference.

In addition, the Speaker’s office said, the Senate could be recalled before June if it is needed to deal with government legislation.

Negotiations continued Friday over resumption of the House of Commons, which is scheduled to reconvene Monday.

3:00 Coronavirus outbreak: Parliament should be considered an ‘essential service’ Scheer says

The Liberals propose weekly in-person meetings of the House until there is a technical means of holding virtual sittings, but the Conservatives say several meetings a week are needed to hold the government to account.

As it stands, 338 MPs would gather in Ottawa on Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a news briefing Friday.

3:00 Coronavirus outbreak: Parliament should be considered an ‘essential service’ Scheer says

“That is obviously not a good idea,” he said. “We are not in normal circumstances.”

Trudeau said discussions were continuing with opposition parties to find a way to uphold democracy while respecting public health advice on physical distancing.

Virtual sittings would ensure MPs who are not within driving distance of Ottawa could participate in House meetings during the pandemic, he added. “That is a technological challenge that we will work very, very hard on.”

Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer told a briefing the events of recent weeks have demonstrated the importance of accountability and vigilance, including the essential role of Parliament.

The Conservatives have proposed “a very reasonable work plan” that would entail fewer than 50 MPs sitting in the chamber at a time, he said.

“We believe several sittings a week would be ideal.”

Elizabeth May, former Green Party Leader and MP for Saanich-Gulf Islands, said in a tweet Saturday that the Greens would not give unanimous consent for calling Parliament together frequently “until Public Health advice says it makes sense.”

“Giving the Conservatives a spotlight in QP is not a reason to reconvene,” she wrote.