Opposition demands docs

Approximately one month ago, I noted in my column that the House of Commons was at an impasse due to an ongoing debate on a motion of privilege.

This privilege motion stems from House Speaker Greg Fergus's ruling the Liberal government "did not fully comply" with a House of Commons order.

The order, akin to a court order, required the government to provide documents related to the now-defunct Crown corporation, Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC).

As many now know, the auditor general's audit of this program uncovered serious issues. Conflict-of-interest policies were ignored 90 times, resulting in $59 million awarded to 10 ineligible projects. Even worse, the program often exaggerated the environmental benefits of its projects.

As recently as this week, the House law clerk once again tabled a letter in Parliament, indicating the government continues to redact or withhold some of the documents. Despite withholding the documents, the government continues to accuse the Opposition Conservatives of holding Parliament hostage as this privilege debate has persisted for nearly two months.

The Conservatives, along with the NDP and Bloc Québécois, maintain a united stance—demanding the government comply with the order to produce all documents unredacted.

In my view, Canadians deserve to know what really happened here. No federal government should be able to hide the truth from the people it serves.

Remember, this is a government that spends billions upon billions under the guise of fighting climate change. Similarly, it has implemented a federal carbon tax that is driving up inflation in Canada, including raising prices on groceries.

In many Canadian provinces where the federal carbon tax applies—or in British Columbia, where the provincial government has agreed to increase its carbon tax in line with the federal rate—residents face additional costs during cold winter months if they heat their homes with natural gas or propane.

Despite the Liberals' insistence their plan is working, Canadians consistently encounter independent evidence suggesting otherwise.

This week, for example, the International Climate Change Performance Index released its latest results. The CCPI employs a standardized framework to evaluate the climate performance of 63 countries, which collectively account for more than 90% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Canada ranked 62nd on the list and is rated as a "very low performer." This ranking is significant.

Considering the fiscal burden many Canadians face due to carbon taxes and the misappropriation and abuse of funds in programs like the now-defunct Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC), it's clear Canadians aren't getting the results they're paying for.

Furthermore, when the government withholds and conceals documents from the SDTC fund, Canadians are deprived of the transparency and accountability they rightfully deserve.

My question this week:

Do you agree with the Opposition parties' current action in Parliament to maintain the privilege debate until the government complies with the order to produce all of the SDTC documents unredacted? Why or why not?

I can be reached at Dan.Albas@parl.gc.ca or call toll free 1-800-665-8711.

Dan Albas is the Conservative MP for Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.