Beyond The Commons

Aaron Wherry covers all the goings-on in and around Parliament Hill. Follow Aaron on Twitter: @aaronwherry

Categories: Beyond The Commons, Capital Read

Back to the brink

by Aaron Wherry on Friday, June 11, 2010 3:23pm - 22 Comments

Meetings this week failed to produce an agreement on the release and review of documents related to the treatment of Afghan detainees. The next meeting is apparently scheduled for Monday.

With the House due to rise on Thursday, the NDP now says that their deadline for an agreement is Monday. If no agreement is reached then, they say they will seek to return to the House to pursue a resolution there.

It’s not clear exactly what form that resolution could conceivably take. When the Speaker ruled in April he advised that “if … the matter is still not resolved, the Chair will return to make a statement on the motion that will be allowed in the circumstances.”

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The government’s response, via the Justice Minister’s office: “Meetings with the Opposition have shown positive signs and will continue in a spirit of cooperation.”

And from the Liberal side, via a spokesman for Ralph Goodale: “Speculating on strategy is not productive. What we’re focusing on is getting an agreement signed before the end of the session. Lines of communication remain open and progress is being made, though admittedly all sides are feeling more pressure as the end of session nears.”

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The Canadian Press counts the Bloc with the NDP and explores the myriad hypotheticals now back in play.

Tags: Afghanistan, detainees, documents, peter milliken, privilege, transfers

More by Aaron Wherry

Anon 001

Posturing on all sides. Nobody is going to go to an election now.

http://intensedebate.com/people/tedbetts tedbetts

Oh gee, the Conservatives thinking they are above the law. Again. Will wonders never cease? Will the sun not rise up in the east tomorrow morning?

http://intensedebate.com/people/madeyoulook madeyoulook

Spare an above-the-law thought for the Speaker of the House, who exerted his own supremacy over Parliamentary supremacy by not immediately proceeding with a contempt motion upon the delivery of his ruling.

Mike T.

I would be amazed that the speaker didn't have a residual authority to hold off on executing an order if he thought the parties were working towards fulfulling its terms on their own.

Unfortunately, one of the parties are obstructionist liars who will never be part of a legitimate agreement. Somehow, either by the other parties acting together without CPC input, or by the speaker acting alone, this has to be finished.

http://intensedebate.com/people/madeyoulook madeyoulook

The Speaker has no order to execute. He made a ruling, and he was supposed to proceed to the motion of contempt. He did not.

Dee

Oh yeah, the Conservatives are really good at this cooperation/transparency thing.

http://intensedebate.com/people/Style Style

Yeah, that's why they'll never survive as a minority government, certainly never get multi-party support for reforming the always contentious immigration system and would never dream of setting up new institutions to improve transparency and accountability, like a parliamentary budget office.

http://intensedebate.com/people/NorthernPoV NorthernPoV

"setting up new institutions to improve transparency and accountability, like a parliamentary budget office. "
an ethics commissioner that won't act
a PBO that has no money no support nor clear mandate
http://intensedebate.com/people/NorthernPoV NorthernPoV

oh and remember the hack installation attempt: Gwyn Morgan
"A key plank in the Conservative government's accountability package, the appointments commission was to develop guidelines and oversee major federal appointments"
still waiting…..
http://intensedebate.com/people/PhilCP Phil

certainly never get multi-party support for reforming the always contentious immigration system

Caught Kenney's press conference on CPAC last night; it was very good. Kenney answered questions directly while also adding appropriate background material. He was gracious to most committee members, even singling out the BQ member for special thanks, while clearly outlining his disappointment with a few other committee members. That's the kind of behaviour that I expect from all parliamentarians, and I'm confident that it contributed to a successful piece of legislation.

http://eugeneforseyliberal.blogspot.com/ EugeneForseyLiberal

The Opposition better do the right thing or I and others will see them and CPC burn in hell. We will make their lives miserable. We are really really not joking or posturing, unlike fakelake Opposition. The Bloc seems the only party willing to stand up for Canadian democracy. Maybe separation isn't such a bad idea after all.

Macleans, this is EFL, away from my desk.

wilson

And what is the right thing to do?
Maybe the right thing to do is get this precedent setting agreement right. Maybe it's too important to wrap up in 2 weeks.

Macleans, this is wilson, at my desk.

http://intensedebate.com/people/sea_n_mountains sea_n_mountains

yeah, wilson they have had only had two weeks. you are ridiculous.

http://intensedebate.com/people/Jenn_ Jenn_

Hear, Hear!

http://intensedebate.com/people/NorthernPoV NorthernPoV

"It’s not clear exactly what form that resolution could conceivably take. "

this is the way the world ends….this is the way the world ends….this is the way the world ends….
not with a bang, but a whimper
http://intensedebate.com/people/DZulu Dave Z.

Bloc House Leader Pierre Paquette blamed the slow pace of negotiations on a lack of decision-making power in the party of Conservative ministers at the table.

"My impression is that ministers that are before us don't have a large enough mandate to be able to negotiate with the opposition," Paquette said.

"They have to constantly consult with the Prime Minister's Office and because the prime minister is often travelling, I think that's what it is."

Obviously Paquette's assessment may be incorrect, but it plays into the overall trend in recent decades towards centralization of power at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). It certainly leaves one with the distinct feeling that cabinet government in this country is effectively dead. Our apologies, Walter.
Andrew (not PorC)

Someone might be going to jail. Nothing says this will be a confidence matter. The government may decide to go to the polls rather than face censure by Parliament.
http://intensedebate.com/people/sourstud sourstud

Nobody will be going to jail, you can count on that.
http://intensedebate.com/people/madeyoulook madeyoulook

As I have linked a few times elsewhere at BtC, Marleau & Montpetit is pretty clear on the motion that is to be put forward once a prima facie case has been made on the point of privilege. Or will the Speaker flout parliamentary rules yet again?
http://intensedebate.com/people/avr avr

Nobody is going to jail. Give the revenge fantasies a rest.
http://intensedebate.com/people/Gaunilon Gaunilon

What is it with the Left and fantasies of Fitzmas and Frogmarching?
Greg

What can I say, we are human. When we see a bully, we are angered. When our "champions" act like cowards we feel rage. Realizing the whole system is gamed leads us to impotent revenge fantasies. Twas always thus, regardless of political affiliation.