A standoff between the Liberals and opposition parties over a demand for documents has ground government business to a halt in the House of Commons.Friday, the House has been dominated by a procedural dispute over Parliament’s right to demand government documents. As a result, the Liberals are unable to table new bills, including promised legislation to enact a capital gains tax increase that was first announced in the April budget.
RCMP Commissioner Michael Duheme wrote to Commons Law Clerk Michel Bédard in July expressing strong concern with the House motion. Mr. Fergus said it is unusual and unprecedented for the House to order documents for the purposes of handing them over to a third party. In an interview, Mr. Scheer said he views the committee study as a delay tactic and called on the government to release the requested documents.