15.7°C Vancouver

Oct 15, 2020 3:41 PM -

Opposition MPs brace for marathon Liberal filibuster over WE documents demand

Share On
opposition-mps-brace-for-marathon-liberal-filibuster-over-we-documents-demand
Margaret Trudeau speaks to the audience at fans at a We Day event in Toronto, on Thursday, September 20, 2018.THE CANADIAN PRESS-Christopher Katsarov

Opposition MPs are bracing for another marathon meeting of the House of Commons ethics committee today as they ramp up efforts to revive their investigation into the WE Charity affair.

Indeed, Conservative MP Michael Barrett says he and his colleagues are prepared for the meeting to drag on for days, if that's what it takes to finally force an end to a filibuster by Liberal committee members who've been blocking opposition demands for more documents.

At issue is a motion put forward by Barrett last week calling on Speakers' Spotlight, the agency that arranged speaking engagements for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's mother and brother at WE events, to hand over 12-years' worth of receipts for those paid appearances.

WE Charity, which was to have been aid $43.5 million to administer a now-defunct federal student services grant program, has already disclosed that it paid Margaret and Alexandre Trudeau more than $350,000 over the years.

Last Friday, Liberal committee members launched a four-hour filibuster to prevent a vote on Barrett's motion; it ended only when a Bloc Quebecois MP got fed up and joined the Liberals in voting to adjourn the meeting.

Today's meeting will pick up where Friday's meeting left off.

Latest news

b-c-conservative-leader-attacks-eby-government-over-forestry-decline
BCAug 18, 2026

B.C. Conservative Leader Attacks Eby Government Over Forestry Decline

B.C. Conservative Party Leader John Rustad has accused Premier David Eby of blaming U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs for the province’s forestry-sector decline in an attempt to hide his government’s own failures. In a statement Tuesday, Rustad said U.S. tariffs are harmful and should be strongly opposed. However, he said forestry production in B.C.’s Interior began declining as early as 2016, long before Trump returned to office, and has now fallen by about 50 per cent. According to Rustad, poor provincial policies, permit processes that can take two to three years, and uncertaint
trumps-presidency-delays-quebec-sovereignty-referendum-says-parti-québécois
CanadaAug 18, 2026

Trump’s Presidency Delays Quebec Sovereignty Referendum, Says Parti Québécois

Parti Québécois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon says his party would not hold a referendum on Quebec sovereignty while Donald Trump remains president of the United States. St-Pierre Plamondon says the party still intends to hold a referendum on whether Quebec should separate from Canada during its first mandate if elected. However, he says such a crucial decision about Quebec’s future requires a clear and calm debate. He says the referendum debate should not be disrupted by American politics or unexpected announcements from the U.S. president. According to St-Pierre Plamondon, the unpredic
AlbertaAug 18, 2026

Sentencing Arguments Begin for Man Convicted of Sexually Assaulting Three Women

Sentencing arguments begin today for 62-year-old Richard Mantha, who was convicted of sexually assaulting three vulnerable women and drugging one of them. Mantha was found guilty of six offences following a trial that lasted more than two years. The full day has been set aside for the Crown and defence to present their arguments on what sentence he should receive. He was convicted of two counts of sexual assault, as well as choking while committing a sexual assault and administering a noxious substance. Mantha was also found guilty of assault with a weapon and uttering threats against a fourth
BCAug 18, 2026

Goldstream Falls swimming incident: 27-year-old man dies

A 27-year-old man has died after getting into distress while swimming near Goldstream Falls in Goldstream Provincial Park on Monday evening. West Shore RCMP said officers responded to the incident at around 7:35 p.m. on August 17. The man reportedly went underwater while swimming near the waterfall and did not resurface. Bystanders pulled him from the water and immediately began life-saving measures. Police, BC Emergency Health Services and Langford Fire Department later arrived and continued the emergency response. The man was taken to hospital for further treatment but later succumbed to his
poilievre-attacks-carney-government-over-ev-mandate
BCAug 18, 2026

Poilievre Attacks Carney Government Over EV Mandate

Canada’s main opposition leader, Pierre Poilievre, has launched a strong attack on Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government over its electric vehicle policy. Poilievre alleges that while the government is moving to scrap the existing EV sales mandate, it is planning to bring back a similar requirement through the “back door” using tougher emissions standards. According to a notice published in the Canada Gazette, the government has recently started the process of repealing the previous EV Sales Mandate, which required 20 per cent of new vehicles sold in 2026 to be electric. Reacting to

Related News