CANADA
MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS
On 5 November 2014, Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau, MP, suspended two MPs from caucus for alleged personal misconduct. The Party whip, Judy Foote, MP, sent a letter to the Speaker of the House of Commons, Hon. Andrew Scheer, MP, in which she said two MPs from another party had made allegations against Scott Andrews, MP, (Avalon, Newfoundland and Labrador) and Massimo Pacetti, MP, (Saint-Léonard – Saint-Michel, Québec). She pointed out there is no process for dealing with these kinds of situation. She asked for the Board of Internal Economy (BOIE), the House of Commons’ governing body, to ensure that the cases are properly addressed and for a process to be put in place to address such cases. To complicate matters, the two MPs who made the allegations declined to make formal complaints. In its response, the BOIE said it did not have a mandate to investigate Member-to-
Member conflicts. Saying it is ultimately up to the House to pronounce on the conduct of its Members, the BOIE asked the Speaker to write to the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs requesting it seek an order of reference to review matters related to such allegations. On 27 November, the House of Commons instructed the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs to examine options for addressing complaints of harassment between Members, to make recommendations on a code of conduct for Members and a process for resolving complaints made under the code, and to make recommendations on training to ensure compliance with the code. On 10 December, the
BOIE adopted a harassment prevention policy. It applies to Members and House Officers as employers, their employees and Research Office employees. The policy addresses prevention, sets out a process for filing and investigating complaints, and outlines the rights and responsibilities of everyone involved in a complaint. The policy stresses the need to respect confidentiality and to ensure the process is impartial.
Mr Justin Trudeau, MP
Motion to compensate the survivors of thalidomide On 27 November 2014, the House debated an opposition motion put forward by
Libby Davies, MP of the opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) offering support to the survivors of the drug thalidomide and urging the government to provide support to them. In the early 1960s, thalidomide was given to some pregnant women to combat morning sickness. Unfortunately, the drug had catastrophic side effects, and babies that survived suffered horrible defects, such as hands or feet growing immediately from the body. On 1 December, the House of Commons voted unanimously in favour of the motion. The same day, the Minister of Health, Hon. Rona Ambrose, MP, met with a group of thalidomide survivors. She said the government would work with the survivors to determine how it can best support their health needs.
Security
In the aftermath of the 22 October 2014 attack (see The Parliamentarian, 2014, Issue 4), Parliament reviewed
its security arrangements. These involve not only the security services of the Senate and the House of Commons, but also the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). On 25 November, the Joint Advisory Working Group on Security, co-chaired by House of Commons Speaker Hon. Andrew Scheer, MP and Hon. Vern White, Senator, agreed to implement a unified security force for the Senate and the House of Commons. On 6 February 2015, the government tabled a motion calling on the Speaker to invite the RCMP “to lead operational security throughout the Parliamentary precinct and the grounds of Parliament Hill, while respecting the privileges, immunities and powers of the respective Houses, and ensuring the continued employment of our existing and respected Parliamentary Security staff.” On 11 December, the House held a special ceremony to thank its security personnel. They were invited onto the floor of the Chamber to receive Members’ tributes. In particular, Speaker Scheer noted their many acts of bravery, kindness and generosity on 22 October.
Hon. Andrew Scheer, MP
Use of House of Commons resources for political offices On 3 February 2015, the BOIE announced it was seeking
The Parliamentarian | 2015: Issue One | 51
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