House of Commons.

• Date: 22 September 2021
• Author: Winters, Nellie

This account covers key highlights of the period from April to end of June 2021 continuing the second session of the 43 (rd) Parliament.

Procedure / Privilege

Questions of privilege

On May 28,2021, Karen Vecchio (Elgin-Middlesex--London) rose on a question of privilege regarding the conduct of the member for Pontiac while attending the House proceedings remotely via video conference. On June 7, 2021, the Speaker returned to the House with a ruling. He concluded that there was a prima facie breach of privilege, noting that the events constituted a serious breach of the rules of decorum and an affront against the dignity of the House. Ms. Vecchio moved that the prima facie contempt concerning the misconduct of the Member for Pontiac be referred to the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs. The motion was adopted on division.

On June 1, 2021, Michael Chong (Wellington--Halton Hills) moved a motion to obtain unredacted documents produced by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) following the March 31,2021, and May 10, 2021, orders of the Special Committee on Canada-China Relations (C ACN). The motion stipulated, among other items, that the documents were to be deposited with the Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel within 48 hours of adoption which occurred on June 2, 2021. On June 7, 2021, the Speaker confirmed that PHAC had met the deadline, but that the documents sent contained redactions; unredacted documents were sent to the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP). In response to these events, Gerard Deltell (Louis-Saint-Laurent) rose on a question of privilege regarding the government's alleged non-compliance with the order of the House. On June 16, 2021, the Speaker delivered his ruling indicating that there was a prima facie breach of privilege. Mr. Deltell moved to find PHAC to be in contempt. The motion ordered the president of PHAC to attend the Bar of the House to receive an admonishment and to deliver the documents ordered on June 2, 2021. The motion was adopted on June 17, 2021. On June 21, 2021, Iain Stewart, the President of the Public Health Agency of Canada appeared at the Bar of the House.

When the House rose for the summer on June 23, 2021, there were four questions of privilege that remained with the Speaker. On June 10, 2021, Michael Barrett (Leeds--Grenville--Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes) rose on a question of privilege related to the proceedings of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics and the Standing Committee on Finance. On June 16, 2021, Pierre Poilievre (Carleton) rose to allege that the government was effectively introducing a new tax without the approval of the House in relation to the inflation that would result from the government's spending. On June 18, 2021, Charlie Angus (Timmins--James Bay) rose on a question of privilege regarding the government's response to a motion adopted on June 7, 2021, relating to the implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's calls to action. Mr. Angus alleged that the government ignored the House's order and took unsatisfactory action. Though Mr. Stewart, the President of the Public Health Agency of Canada appeared at the Bar of the House on June 21, 2021 and received admonishment, Gerard Deltell (Louis-Saint-Laurent) rose on a new question of privilege because documents, as ordered by the House, were not...