Opposition accuses Trudeau of suspending parliamentary work to cover up scandal

Justin Trudeau, at a press conference with Chrystia Freeland and the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Dominic LeBlanc, this Tuesday in Ottawa.PATRICK DOYLE / Reuters

Justin Trudeau, Canadian Prime Minister, has asked the Governor General of Canada, Julie Payette, to suspend parliamentary work. The proposed date for the start of the new session is September 23. That day, the Liberals will ask the other forces for a vote of confidence. Trudeau is also expected to present new Budgets and an updated status of the economic situation in the wake of the pandemic. "This will give us the opportunity to detail our plan for the future," said Trudeau. The opposition believes that rather it seeks to stop the investigation by a parliamentary committee on the contracts with the charitable organization WE Charity, which has set the political agenda in recent weeks.

Trudeau is also being investigated by Mario Dion, Canadian Ethics Commissioner, regarding a possible conflict of interest, since his Government awarded a million-dollar contract - and without a bid - to WE Charity, which has had strong ties with the Trudeau family for years. . The contract was canceled after a wave of negative reactions. It is the third time that the prime minister has been in the crosshairs of the Ethics Commissioner for cases of conflict of interest.

The opposition also criticizes having to wait a few weeks, given the rush to discuss issues related to covid-19. "Trudeau is blocking opposition MPs who were working very hard to correct his government's programs during the pandemic, help Canadians and shed light on their corruption scandal," said Andrew Scheer, leader of the Conservatives. For his part, Jagmeet Singh, leader of the New Democratic Party, said that it is a great mistake to close Parliament in the midst of a pandemic and in a state of economic crisis, when several meetings were scheduled for next week. "People shouldn't pay the price for the Trudeau scandals," he said. Trudeau won reelection last October, but his party lost a parliamentary majority.

This Tuesday, when the prime minister reported on the suspension of parliamentary work, he introduced Chrystia Freeland as the new finance minister (the first woman to hold this position in Canadian history). Freeland previously held the Foreign and Government Affairs portfolios and led the Canadian delegation in the renegotiation of the North American trade framework.

Freeland replaces Bill Morneau, who had resigned the day before. Morneau, like Trudeau, is under investigation for his involvement in the WE Charity case. Both have acknowledged that they did not indicate a possible conflict of interest in the ministerial meeting where the award of the contract was addressed. One of his daughters works for this organization. Additionally, Morneau reimbursed $ 41,000 later this month for family travel expenses originally paid for by the charity.

Morneau assured that the case did not influence his decision to leave the Ministry of Finance and that the Government needs, due to the impact of the coronavirus, a new minister who "dedicates all his efforts to correct the economic course during the coming years." Last week, Canadian newspapers published that Trudeau and Morneau had diverged over the strategy of economic support linked to the pandemic. According to the media, the minister asked for greater caution in spending. “It is important to have vigorous discussions between a finance minister and a prime minister. This is how you get better policies, "Morneau responded at a press conference. He also announced his intention to run for the post of Secretary General of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).