House of Commons released attendance records of members of parliament for the hybrid COVID-19 committee meetings and statistics show who has been working hard for Canadians, according to North Island-Powell River MP Rachel Blaney.
According to a media release, Blaney said the Conservatives had the worst attendance record of any party with an average participation rate of 40 per cent, compared to the New Democrats, with the highest attendance rate for the hybrid sessions at 86 per cent.
“While New Democrats were fighting for two weeks of paid sick leave for all Canadians and more help for seniors, the Conservatives couldn’t be bothered to show up,” stated Blaney, who is the whip for the NDP, in the media release. “People are struggling financially and they’re worried about their health and the well-being of loved ones. It’s really disrespectful that Conservative members didn’t take this seriously.”
The record shows there wasn’t a single day of hybrid sittings where more than half the Conservative MPs showed up, according to the release.
“The Conservatives seemed to have missed the memo that holding the government to account requires opposition MPs to attend to their duties,” stated NDP MP Alistair MacGregor. “Canadians need support now more than ever and that’s why we negotiated these hybrid sittings so everyone’s concerns could be heard regardless of where they lived in the country. It’s a huge disservice to all those people that some MPs didn’t show up to do their jobs.”
“For weeks, New Democrats have been pressing the government about the issues that matter to Canadians like supports for small businesses and their workers, extending the CERB, and getting more help for students and seniors,” stated NDP MP Gord Johns. “Our record shows that people can count on us to fight for them, even in the middle of a global crisis.”
