The Liberals launched a website Thursday to encourage people to sign a petition asking for Oda's removal. "I think the 'not' was put in on instructions from the PM's office. "This issue will not go away so closely tied to the PM's agenda," said Liberal foreign affairs critic Bob Rae earlier Thursday. If Oda became the first sitting minister to be held in contempt of Parliament, that would put pressure on Harper to remove her from the cabinet. If Milliken were to decide Oda's actions constituted a breach, the matter would then go back to a committee to decide whether a vote should be held in the House on the breach question.
In that statement, she clearly said that it was never her intention to mislead either the House of Commons or the committee," the Conservative response read. "The minister does understand that she could have more clearly communicated the purpose and intent of why and how her office implemented her direction, and she has apologized to the House of Commons for how this issue has been handled. In filing the report with the Speaker, they said Oda had repeatedly misled Parliament.Ĭonservative MPs filed a supplementary report, saying they don't agree Oda is in breach of privilege or that she intended to mislead the committee. A vote may followīut the opposition members maintain that is not the issue. Harper has steadfastly backed his embattled minister by saying she had every right to make the decision to cancel funding for the group. "That is what Minister Oda has done and I support that." "Minister Oda has been very clear that the decision was hers … We are not obliged to accept the decisions of bureaucrats," he said. Opposition MPs shouted "Shame, shame," when Baird told them Oda "had more integrity in her little finger" than some other MPs.Įarlier Thursday, in response to reporters' questions in Toronto, Harper said he "does not accept the premise that lied." The minister made the right decision and the government supports that decision," said Baird. "She made a difficult and courageous decision. With Prime Minister Stephen Harper absent from the House Thursday, it was left to Baird to defend Oda. She forged a document and now she wants to be a victim of that? … At least she has no more credibility." Baird, Harper defend Oda The Speaker isn't expected to rule on the matter this week.Īre you satisfied with Bev Oda's apology? Take our survey.īloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe also weighed in. The Liberals tabled a foreign affairs committee report in the House of Commons Thursday morning that opened the door to possible sanctions against Oda. It's a pattern that shows you can't trust this government," Layton said.
"The fact that one of his ministers misled this house and arranged for a document to be forged is bad enough. NDP Leader Jack Layton says the prime minister’s refusal to fire Oda from her cabinet position "means, in his mind, forging documents is all right."
Oda slipped out of the House before the NDP and Liberals made formal complaints to Speaker Peter Milliken, arguing she had breached parliamentary privilege. Government House Leader John Baird handled all the questions about the Kairos document. Oda, the minister of international cooperation, rose only once, to answer a question on funding for rebuilding Haiti. ((Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press))įor the fourth day in a row, opposition MPs hammered at Bev Oda, accusing the government of a pattern of abuse.įor much of question period Thursday, MPs demanded an explanation for how the word "not" appeared scrawled on a signed document recommending the renewal of funding to international aid organization Kairos. Bev Oda rises to answer one of many questions directed her way during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill on Thursday.
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