Conservatives propose creative voting methods to get Parliament back
Voting from Commons courtyard among methods suggested to Speaker
OTTAWA – With Parliament at an impasse, Conservatives are putting forward creative voting methods in an effort to restore a fully functioning House of Commons.
MPS voting from the Commons courtyard, by paper ballot, by lining up, or in shifts, are just some of the methods the Conservatives have put to the Speaker as a means to bring Parliament back and protect the health of parliamentarians.
“Voting is a cornerstone of parliamentary proceedings and we must ensure that no one wishing to vote is denied; and it is this issue for which I would welcome your views and strategies on how all MPS may vote in-person while respecting health advice,” Conservative House leader Candice Bergen wrote to Speaker Anthony Rota in a letter obtained by National Post.
Full regular sittings of Parliament have been on hold since mid-march when MPS from all parties came together and agreed to suspend sittings due to the risk of the coronavirus. Since then, MPS have gathered on a few occasions, but in limited numbers in the chamber to keep social distancing in place.
During one of those special sittings this week, the Liberals proposal to fast-track legislation through the Commons hit a roadblock when opposition parties wouldn’t give consent to move the bill forward. The bill would have imposed penalties on people fraudulently claiming the Canada Emergency Response Benefit as well as a payment to people with disabilities. When the Liberals tried to pass just the legislation dealing with disability payments, that also stalled.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau singled out the Conservatives for refusing to move ahead on the bill that would give a one-time $600 payment to people with disabilities.
“I know there isn’t a single member in the House of any party that doesn’t want to see extra help go to Canadians living with disabilities,” he said. “Politics got in the way of actually helping Canadians.”
Conservative leader Andrew Scheer rejected the criticism and said the Liberals could pass the legislation if they reopened the Commons. A motion to have the full Commons debate the bill was rejected by the Liberals.
“The mistake yesterday was the Liberals shamefully saying no to allowing Parliament to deal with that legislation and then disgustingly trying to play petty politics on the backs of people with disabilities,” said Scheer.
One of the main barriers to bringing Parliament back during the pandemic has been how to handle votes, because currently there are no procedures allowing an MP to vote from anywhere other than their seat in the Commons. MPS who fail to get into the chamber on time, even if they are in the halls just outside, can’t cast a vote. There is no allowance for proxy votes or electronic voting.
The House of Commons’ procedure committee has been studying the idea of virtual voting in Parliament and Speaker Rota said house staff are ready to implement a system if MPS agree to it. That committee is set to deliver recommendations to Parliament later this month.
The mistake yesterday was the Liberals shamefully saying no to allowing Parliament to deal with that legislation
But Bergen’s letter to Rota suggests other in person options. She said the small sittings in recent weeks, with a handful of MPS, have proven the chamber can operate without becoming a health risk.
“The House of Commons sat eight times and the Special Committee on the COVID-19 Pandemic physically convened 13 times. Not a single case or suspicion of COVID19 has been linked to these 21 gatherings.”
Among the proposals are having MPS vote from both the chamber and the courtyard area that surrounds it, leaving MPS room to space out. Some provincial legislatures have taken that approach recently, allowing their legislators to vote from the public galleries.
She also suggested MPS could line up as either voting for or against a measure and pass by one of the House clerks to register their vote.