Liberal MPs out of caucus, Del Mastro up for suspension on Wednesdays with @Kady
Kady O'Malley and Janyce McGregor field your questions and comments on the day Parliament Hill grapples with workplace harassment allegations that see two Liberal MPs removed from caucus. Also: former Conservative MP Dean Del Mastro appears poised for suspension from the House of Commons.
Replay our live chat with blogger Kady O'Malley
Today on our Wednesdays with @Kady live chat:
- Justin Trudeau is expected to emerge from his weekly meeting with MPs and field questions about the suspension from caucus of two of his MPs, Scott Andrews and Massimo Pacetti, after harassment allegations surfaced. Now that concerns about toxic work environments are on Parliament Hill's doorstep, what needs to be done to change the culture and improve things for politicians and staff alike?
- Former Conservative MP Dean Del Mastro appears poised for suspension from the House of Commons after being found guilty last week on three counts of Elections Act violations, including overspending and fraud. The rules say someone who's been convicted cannot sit as an MP, so a NDP motion that appears to have Conservative support is likely to pass late Wednesday, suspending him without pay. What's the right way to handle a case like this?
- Prime Minister Stephen Harper leaves Wednesday afternoon for a five-day visit to China, with a revised itinerary to allow him to be back in Ottawa for Remembrance Day at the National War Memorial after the Oct. 22 shooting of Cpl. Nathan Cirillo. A familiar dilemma re-emerges: how can Canada boost its trade without compromising the human rights it purports to champion?
Programming note: we ran out of time to discuss the third topic. Participants were consulted and opted to spend more time on the harassment allegations.