NDP MP Proposes A Tenant’s Revolt
Posted by Tyler Kinch on August 9th, 2006
NDP MP Pat Martin (Winnipeg Centre) wants to give the parliament buildings back to parliament.
OTTAWA – NDP MP Pat Martin (Winnipeg Centre) announced today that he is introducing a motion calling for Members of Parliament to take control of the Parliamentary Precinct.
Last spring, when the government refused to lower the flag on the Peace Tower in respect for the death of a member of the Canadian Armed Forces, Mr. Martin raised a point of privilege in the House of Commons, saying that Parliament, not government, should decide what happens on Parliament Hill. “It should be Parliament not Government who decides whether or not the flag on the Peace Tower is lowered to half-mast,†said Martin.
At the time, Speaker Peter Milliken considered the motion but eventually ruled that the House of Commons and the Senate are merely “tenants†in the Parliament buildings, and the Government had direction and control over all physical aspects of the parliamentary precinct.
In other words, the government is Parliament’s landlord.
The Majority of Canadians elected Parliament and not the Government. Parliament should not only be in charge of Parliamentary procedure, but they should be given more control over running the country. The opposition MPs were elected too! Yet in minority governments, it seems like the opposition has less power then they should have.
It will interesting to see if this gets unanimous support.