Conservative MP Poilievre launches budget debate filibuster over SNC-Lavalin
Published Monday, April 1, 2019 12:35PM EDT
Last Updated Monday, April 1, 2019 1:25PM EDT
OTTAWA – Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre is set to begin what he's promising will be a "marathon speech" filibustering debate on the 2019 budget, over the SNC-Lavalin scandal.
"I will speak for hours and hours on end until the prime minister agrees to end the coverup and begin the investigation," Poilievre announced shortly before stepping into the House of Commons on Monday.
He said that he is prepared to continue speaking until the Liberals agree to Conservatives' call to re-open the House Justice Committee study on the matter
This procedural tactic is permitted because the House is beginning debate on the 2019 budget document, which comes with unique rules and is separate from any coming debate on the budget implementation bill that is yet to be tabled.
The rules of the House of Commons allows for up to four days of debate on the budget itself, and this takes precedence over all other business until this debate concludes. There is a provision that allows the first speaker for the Opposition to speak for an unlimited amount of time.
Therefore, Poilievre, who is taking that first speaking slot for the Conservatives, will be given the floor indefinitely.
"I will be using that ability to demand that the government end the cover up," he said. Typically if an MP is veering too far off-topic in their speech, the Speaker can intervene and cut them off, though the budget debate "allows for a wide-ranging debate, during which the rules of relevance are generally relaxed," according to Commons procedure.
The filibuster can only continue during "government orders," however, meaning that he’ll have to put his protest on pause during question period.