Albas gets a few seconds on National news broadcast
Okanagan Conservative MP Dan Albas had a few seconds in the limelight on the CBC’s flagship television newscast.
He added his two cents to The National’s top story Thursday night about developments in Ottawa over the end of the CERB and the proroguing of parliament.
“By effectively proroguing Parliament, and shutting down and locking down Parliament, we’re unable to be able to have real discussions,” said Albas, MP for Central Okanagan–Similkameen–Nicola.
As the story detailed, once CERB dries up for those who exhausted their 28 weeks of help, the Liberal government says it will launch a “simplified” EI program and three new kinds of benefits on Sept. 27.
However, that cash is contingent on the government adopting a new bill. With Parliament prorogued, that can’t happen until Sept. 23 at the earliest.
Albas’ latest column published by media outlets in the region, including this newspaper, talks about prorogation.
“With the exception of a one-day sitting of the COVID committee next Wednesday, the House of Commons was already adjourned until Sept. 21,” he said, “so why prorogue the House of Commons when it is already adjourned? The answer (is) that several parliamentary committees were sitting and hearing evidence on the details that resulted in WE Charity foundation receiving a sole-sourced contract for a program in excess of $500 million.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau defended his choice to shut down Parliament shortly before unveiling a $37-billion plan to replace a key emergency aid benefit.
Speaking in Brockville, Ont., on Friday, Trudeau said his government wanted to take the time to get this plan right and argued that a new direction by the Liberal minority government needs to be supported by a confidence vote.
But he also said opposition parties will have the opportunity to voice any disagreement with the proposed income-support measures through debate in the House of Commons when MPs return to Ottawa in late September.
“I think Canadians can be confident when they look across party lines that everyone seems serious about supporting Canadians,” the prime minister said.