The Liberals have voted to move certain House of Commons committee deliberations private, shortly after gaining a majority of seats on most committees.
The Liberals passed a motion in the House on April 27, to amend the standing orders and take control of committees, shortly after achieving a majority government through recent floor crossing and byelection wins.
Shortly after that vote, they passed a motion during an ethics committee meeting to move discussions “in camera,” which shields discussions from public view. MPs were debating a Conservative request for government documents on the prime minister’s conflict-of-interest screen.
A similar scenario unfolded the next day as Conservatives planned to use a health committee meeting to ask the auditor general to investigate the failed PrescribeIT program, which cost hundreds of millions. After the Tories introduced the motion, the Liberals voted to move the meeting in camera….