MP says Parliament will run differently with new Liberal majority

Local MP Jamie Schmale says Parliament will work differently with the Liberals achieving a majority government – including when it comes to committee work.

Prime Minister Mark Carney secured a slim majority government mandate through a combination of opposition defections and victories in three by-elections.

Schmale said the new Liberal majority will change how the House of Commons functions, how parliamentary committees operate and how the Conservative opposition will go about keeping the government accountable and transparent.

“The Liberals will no longer need the help of at least one opposition party to pass legislation in the House or committees,” Schmale said. “This gives them greater control over the legislative agenda, including the timing of debates and votes. In committees, where much of the detailed work of Parliament happens, government members will now hold the majority of seats, allowing them to easily steer studies, call or limit witnesses and ultimately shape reports without relying on opposition support.”

Schmale added that all committees are chaired by government members except for the four chaired by opposition members as per Standing Orders, the rules of how Parliament operates.  The MP said while the distribution of chair positions is guided by the rules of parliament, the Liberal majority will give them great influence over how committees function overall.

“We do lose some power, but maintain our ability to influence government decisions,” Schmale said. “We can no longer oppose problematic Liberal legislation by working with the other opposition parties: however, we can still use tools such as debate, committee scrutiny, public advocacy and Question Period to hold the government accountable. Strong opposition can still shape public opinion and pressure the government to adjust its policies.”

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has called the Liberal majority a “weak majority.”

“The Liberals, for now, have a two-seat majority which means the government whip will have to be sure all their members are able to vote especially on a confidence measure such as the budget,” Schmale said. “Even a small number of absences or dissenting votes could put the government at risk of having their legislative agenda stalled or worst case, a defeat on a confidence motion that triggers an automatic election.”

Speaking of elections, Schmale said he was not surprised when Carney announced that there would be no federal election until 2029, now that the Liberals have their majority.

“A recent poll showed that 71 percent of Canadians did not want an election this spring,” Schmale said. “Once the majority parliament was secured, the usual four-year election date (2025-2029) kicked in. Majority governments typically aim to serve the full mandate to implement their agenda, barring unforeseen political developments, but there is no way to predict if the prime minister might call an election before the fixed election date.”

When asked if he expected any more floor crossings of Conservative members in the future, Schmale instead focused on the outsized influence the five opposition members who have already joined the Liberals have had on the makeup of parliament stating, “this is the first time in Canadian history that floor crossings have turned a minority into a majority.”