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June 16th, 2014

Conservatives trying to derail committees with new dirty tricks

Conservatives are using new tactics to derail the important work of parliamentary committees.

They are placing absurd limits on the scope of committee studies, such as starting a study of “Marijuana’s Health Risks and Harms” - and then arguing that any questions about potential health benefits are out of order.

“Committees are supposed to do diligent and balanced studies of laws and public policy issues” said Deputy Leader Megan Leslie (Halifax). “But Conservatives continually try to block this work, and turn committees into partisan circuses that applaud whatever the government of the day is doing.”

Another Conservative tactic is to have multiple committees study exactly the same thing.

“Committees are where we have a chance to hear from experts, to fix flawed bills and come up with solutions to problems that Canadians are facing,” said NDP Whip Nycole Turmel (Hull-Aylmer). “By trying to sabotage committees, Conservatives are undermining the good, and important, work that Parliament does – we’re calling on Conservatives to stop.”