(Image Credit: Skype / CFJC Today)

By Dylana Kneeshaw

PARLIAMENT DURING COVID-19

McLeod highlights concerns with decision to keep in-person house sessions to once-a-week

Apr 20, 2020 | 4:16 PM

KAMLOOPS — After a unanimous vote to continue, the House of Commons was in session today with a reduced group of about 30 MPs on Parliament Hill.

The prime minister has said the house will continue to sit using a hybrid model of in-person and virtual sessions.

Rather than once a week, Conservatives had been looking for in-person meetings to take place three times a week in Ottawa. The Tories were defeated on the matter in the House today with a vote of 22-to-15, with the Liberal government calling for once a week in-person sittings, supplemented by virtual sessions.

Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo MP Cathy McLeod says none of the parties had a desire to bring in all 338 members, but even a group of 30 would have worked for the additional in-person sittings.

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“We believe that it’s important to have a small group, but in-person session. If the prime minister can do media every day, answering to the opposition is an important part of our parliamentary democracy,” she says. “I mean, if you can imagine only one in-person session, so for someone from British Columbia to fly all the way back to Ottawa when my turn comes to go and have one session — just doesn’t really make a whole lot of sense.”

McLeod acknowledges the need for physical distancing, and following the advice of health officials, but says the house was built for more than 300 people to be in at one time, and having 20-to-30 members spread out inside would allow for proper distancing.

Additionally, McLeod notes that the house hasn’t decided how the virtual sessions would work, or which platform would be used.

“I think we all know the limitations of Zoom. And again, we’re not ready. They don’t have it organized yet for a parliamentary sitting,” she notes. “So that could be weeks away.”