‘The House will be seized,’ government business on pause over docs debate

OTTAWA — Government business has been put on indefinite pause in the House of Commons and the Conservatives say it will stay that way until the Liberals hand over documents related to misspent government dollars.

Last week, Speaker Greg Fergus ruled that the government “clearly did not fully comply” with an order from the House to provide documents related to a now-defunct foundation responsible for doling out hundreds of millions of federal dollars for green technology projects.

The House has been seized by an indefinite debate on the issue ever since, and Conservative House Leader Andrew Scheer says it will continue until the government hands over the unredacted documents.

The government abolished Sustainable Development Technology Canada after both the auditor general released a scathing report about the organization’s management.

Liberal House Leader Karina Gould says ordering the production of documents to be handed over to the RCMP blurs the lines between Parliament and police.

The Liberals have had to postpone a vote on government tax reform twice while the debate drags on in the House.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 3, 2024.

Laura Osman, The Canadian Press