TORONTO – The controversy over the long and troubled process of forming the new government is not over. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced that the swearing-in of the new members of the executive will take place on October 26, while the first session of the House of Commons with the deputies elected in the September 20 elections has been scheduled for November 22. The roadmap set by the Liberal leader did not please the opposition, who denounced the delays and stigmatized the timing desired by Trudeau. 

The Conservatives did not hide their dissatisfaction, not only for the delays accumulated in the formation of the new executive, but also for the decision to convene the first parliamentary session more than two months after the vote. “We believe – said the leader of the group in the Conservative House Gerard Deltell – that it is wrong, in the midst of the fourth wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, that there is a wait of 63 days before returning to work in parliament. In these 63 days, MPs would have been able to carry out their duties in the House of Commons and address vital issues such as the pandemic, inflation, the difficulties of the world of work and a large number of other issues that are very important for Canadians”.

The controversy then slipped, once again, on the real need to go to the vote, a move wanted by Trudeau, with the elections that reproduced in substance a House of Commons with the same balance of power between the parties and once again, as had already happened with the 2019 elections, a minority government, that is, supported by a relative and not an absolute majority of Members. “This election cost $600 million, and was only trudeau’s attempt to gain more power to have a majority government. The operation failed and now he is in no hurry to get back to work.”

Beyond the political controversy, the fact remains that the time for the formation of the government and for the resumption of parliamentary work after the vote is really long. Also because, looking at the Prime Minister’s roadmap, we must expect the new Speech from the Throne that will be read by the Governor General Mary May Simon, then a vote of confidence, then the formation of the various parliamentary committees: having done this we will find ourselves already around mid-December, with the parliament that will have to close for the winter break.

In short, as the opposition parties have pointed out, the time is very tight, also taking into account the fact that the government needs the House of Commons to renew some important deadlines, such as the extension of the benefits and federal aid activated during the pandemic in support of Canadian families, workers and businesses.