Freeland Confirmed as Finance Minister, Trudeau Prorogues Parliament until late September – Tries to Avoid ‘WE’ Scandal

The Liberal government will then deliver a speech from the throne. Trudeau says the pandemic has called for a reset of the government’s agenda, and says the throne speech will be a roadmap to rebuilding the economy post-COVID-19.

Proroguing will shut down the House of Commons committees investigating the WE Charity scandal and remove the legislation currently on Parliament’s order paper. Several Commons committees are probing the WE Charity contract, and the potential that progrogation could end or delay their work did not sit well with the opposition.

Parliament had been set to sit once more in August, in a special session, before resuming full sittings in late September. Due to the pandemic, Parliament has sat rarely this year, limited to special sittings to pass emergency legislation.

Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet last week said he would bring a non-confidence vote himself if Trudeau, Morneau and Trudeau’s chief of staff Katie Telford do not all resign. He said Tuesday a throne speech could just make doing so easier, though he also left the door open to supporting it.

Speaking to his MPs at a caucus retreat in Bonaventure, Que., Blanchet said the party would vote against a throne speech if it does not contain greater health transfers to the provinces, substantially more help for Quebec seniors, and aid to agricultural producers in supply-managed sectors.

The Liberals did not prorogue Parliament during the entirety of their first term in office. The party’s platform in 2015 accused then Prime Minister Stephen Harper of using prorogation to ”avoid difficult political circumstances,” and pledged not to use the tool the same way.