Who will end the debate? Gridlock continues in House of Commons

OTTAWA — Federal political parties appear to be locked in a game of chicken over a debate that has stalled almost all business in the House of Commons.

The Conservatives say the debate will continue until the Liberals hand over unredacted documents to the RCMP about government money misspent by a green-tech foundation.

The debate has now stretched into its second full week.

The Liberals could put forward a motion to end the debate, but Liberal House leader Karina Gould’s office says it’s up to the Conservatives to end the “filibuster.”

The Speaker ruled last week, acknowledging the Liberals did not comply with an order from the House to hand over the documents, but Greg Fergus also said the issue is complicated and should be studied at committee.

The RCMP say they have the redacted documents the government already provided to the House, but have raised doubts about whether they can legally use documents handed over by Parliament as part of an investigation.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 7, 2024.

Laura Osman, The Canadian Press