By Colette Derworiz, The Canadian Press

Special Committee Meetings

Alberta NDP MP concerned over lack of Conservative attendance at virtual committee meetings

Jul 5, 2020 | 1:12 PM

EDMONTON – Alberta’s only non-Conservative member of Parliament says she’s disappointed some of the province’s Tory MPs haven’t been participating in virtual House of Commons special COVID-19 committee meetings.

The Commons, which had largely been adjourned since mid-March to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, initially only met to pass emergency aid legislation and to come to a new agreement on how the chamber should function.

In late May, the New Democrats joined forces with the governing Liberals to waive normal proceedings for another four months and continue with an expanded version of a special COVID-19 committee that has acted as a stand-in for the chamber.

Both Conservative and Bloc Quebecois MPs voted against the virtual sittings because they wanted more parliamentary oversight.

There have been 14 of the new hybrid sessions since the change at the end of May, but a tally by the NDP shows the average attendance for Conservative members from Alberta was about 42 per cent; the number was confirmed by The Canadian Press through online minutes.

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NDP MP Heather McPherson, who represents Edmonton Strathcona, has attended all the online meetings and said she doesn’t understand why other Alberta politicians aren’t participating.

(The Canadian Press)