Canadian MPs leave Ottawa after parliamentary session

By Alex Veeneman on June 21, 2012


Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper with President Obama at the G20 summit in Mexico. MPs in Canada have ended the Parliamentary session after a series of marathon events.
(Photo courtesy of the Government of Canada)

Members of Parliament in Canada have returned to their respective parts of the country for a summer recess as the House of Commons adjourned in the country’s capital Ottawa.

During the final Question Period in the Commons, where MPs ask government ministers with regard to policy and key developments, the leader of the opposition New Democratic Party Thomas Mulcair accused the government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper of abandoning “the very principles they claim they came to Ottawa to defend”, according to a report from the CBC. Mulcair’s concerns included the budget bill, known as C-38, which achieved controversy because of the limit of debate put on the bill in May.

Harper said this session was productive. “We’ve just had one of the most legislatively productive periods in the history of this institution,” Harper said according to CBC. “By deciding they will oppose everything and filibuster everything, [the NDP] have proven themselves to be the least influential Opposition in terms of the legislative agenda in the history of this Parliament. Canadians elected us to focus on jobs, growth and long-term prosperity. That’s what we’re doing. That’s why the Canadian economy continues to have superior performance.”

MPs are to return from their constituencies to the House of Commons in the middle of September according to CBC. The Canadian Senate is to sit for a few days longer than the House before their summer recess. The Liberal opposition leader in the Senate, James Cowan, told CBC that time allocation measures used shows abuse of the majority power. “This is really an abuse of their majority power and it prevents parliamentarians from doing the job that they are sent here to do,” Cowan said. “It’s just wrong, and it’s getting worse and worse and worse.”

The House leader Peter Van Loan told CBC in response that there had been a lengthy debate. “”We’ve had lots of process,” Van Loan said. “It’s also important that we actually do make decisions and get things done, and we’re very proud that we have done that.”

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