Scheer presses for more House of Commons powers as coronavirus crisis stretches on

Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer says more parliamentary powers must be restored to properly scrutinize the government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He says the existing thrice-weekly meetings of a special COVID-19 committee and the smattering of other committees still in session aren’t enough.

READ MORE: Some businesses begin to slowly reopen after long weekend

Scheer says among other things, the current set-up doesn’t allow MPs to compel the government to produce documents or to get witnesses to testify.

He says a demand that business in the House of Commons return to a new normal is not a partisan issue but a question of the need for the vital role of Parliament to be restored.

[ Sign up for our Health IQ newsletter for the latest coronavirus updates ]

The House of Commons adjourned in mid-March as the pandemic began to sweep across Canada, coinciding with the implementation of travel bans, quarantines and physical distancing requirements.

Story continues below advertisement

It’s returned several times since for single-day sessions to pass emergency aid legislation, and meanwhile the special COVID-19 committee also meets.

 » READ MORE FROM GLOBAL NEWS