Randy Hoback. (file photo/paNOW Staff)

By Glenn Hicks

confidence motion

P.A. MP says threat of election ‘is Trudeau’s call’

Oct 21, 2020 | 1:24 PM

Prince Albert MP, Conservative Randy Hoback, says the Liberal minority government continues to hide how it helps its friends.

Hoback was speaking ahead of a confidence vote in the House of Commons expected mid Wednesday afternoon that could bring down the government and prompt a snap election.

“They want to take care of their friends, whether it’s SNC-Lavalin or other issues [like the WE Charity]. We have a history of a government here that likes to make the rules and bend the rules on behalf of their Liberal friends and that’s not right,” Hoback told paNOW from Ottawa.

The brinkmanship, and what some analysts have called a high-risk game of political chicken, is the result of a dispute over the scope and composition of a committee the Conservatives and Bloc Quebecois want, which would help unearth more about the WE Charity and other COVID-19 spending they suggest could be making its way to Liberal allies.

The Liberals are railing against the formation of what would be an opposition-dominated committee and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says if his political opponents feel so strongly about delving further into matters they should be prepared to go to the electorate. Hence Trudeau’s move to make the debate a matter of a confidence vote.

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The Liberals add the committee would amount to a time-consuming fishing expedition that would paralyze the government when it should be focused on helping Canadians get through the second wave of the pandemic.

Hoback insists the Conservatives seeking to establish a committee on any pressing issue is not unprecedented and agrees no one wants an election at this time.

“What’s unique is that the Prime Minister is looking at this and saying ‘this is an opportunity to go to a general election during a pandemic,’” he said. “I don’t think Canadians want that, but that’s the prime minister’s call, not ours.

“If [Trudeau] is so concerned about those documents being released and the information going public that he’s willing to not only prorogue Parliament but actually go to a general election, it makes you really wonder what’s in those documents.”

—with files from The Canadian Press

—

glenn.hicks@jpbg.ca

On Twitter:@princealbertnow