National

Government spending in limbo as Tories, Liberals continue game of chicken in House

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 19 Nov, 2024 12:05 PM

The federal government is asking Parliament for approval to spend billions of dollars, but the ongoing stalemate in the House of Commons could prevent the Liberals from getting the green light.

Treasury Board President Anita Anand tabled a request on Monday for $21.6 billion to fund programs including housing, dental care and the national school food program.

📣Supplementary Estimates B have been tabled with major investments, including for housing, meals for kids, dental care, and supports for youth.

Will the Conservatives stop playing games in the House and put Canadians first?

📄https://t.co/mWBBd6i16j
— Anita Anand (@AnitaAnandMP) November 19, 2024

But the request is likely to sit in limbo because the Conservatives have pledged to gridlock all debate until the Liberals hand over unredacted documents related to misspending on a green-tech fund.

Conservative House leader Andrew Scheer says new documents released by the Liberals this month are still redacted and aren't good enough.

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland called the Tories irresponsible and accused them of playing partisan games by continuing the filibuster that has ground government business to a halt for nearly two months.

There are additional tensions in the House as NDP MP Blake Desjarlais added his own request to Conservative calls for Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault to resign or be fired over claims he had Indigenous heritage.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Trudeau announces massive drop in immigration targets as Liberals make major pivot

The federal government is slashing immigration targets as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau admits the government did not get the balance right following the COVID-19 pandemic. The government had targeted bringing in 500,000 new permanent residents in both 2025 and 2026.

Trudeau announces massive drop in immigration targets as Liberals make major pivot

Groups say Jewish students, staff at University of B.C. face hostile environment

A coalition of Jewish organizations says it is "deeply alarmed" by a rising tide of antisemitism at the University of British Columbia in recent weeks. A joint statement sent out by six groups, including the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver and Canadian Jewish Advocacy, says Jewish staff, students and faculty members at the university have faced "an increasingly hostile environment" since the start of the academic year.

Groups say Jewish students, staff at University of B.C. face hostile environment

Vancouver begins process of closing homeless encampment at Crab Park

Vancouver's park board says it has begun the process of closing the homeless encampment that has been in place at a local park since 2021. The park board says it is talking directly with each of the seven people still in the camp located in the designated area at Crab Park, with the goal of closing the encampment and returning the area to "general park use" by Nov. 7.

Vancouver begins process of closing homeless encampment at Crab Park

What you need to know as Trudeau fights to retain leadership of the Liberal party

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has resisted calls for his resignation for more than a year now but in recent weeks those calls have grown louder and in some cases more public. The Liberal caucus met Wednesday, where MPs had a three-hour long discussion about their party's current state and whether Trudeau is the best one to keep leading it.

What you need to know as Trudeau fights to retain leadership of the Liberal party

Poll suggests more than half of Canadians unaware of gridlock in House of Commons

A debate has ground work in the House of Commons to a halt for weeks, but a new poll suggests that most Canadians are not even aware it's happening. In a new survey from polling firm Leger, 55 per cent of respondents said they had not heard about the procedural issues that have gridlocked Parliament for more than 12 sitting days.

Poll suggests more than half of Canadians unaware of gridlock in House of Commons

Oil removal work begins on 'fragile' Second World War-era wreck in coastal B.C.

The Canadian Coast Guard said the 77-metre-long Brigadier General M.G. Zalinski has been burping up "slow but consistent drops of oil" since the fall of 2022 at the shipwreck site in Grenville Channel, part of the Inside Passage off northern B.C.