Category: parliament

British MPs Back Economic Crime Reforms as Action Urged on Seizing Oligarchs’ Assets

New laws designed to tackle “dirty money” hidden in the UK have cleared the House of Commons, amid calls for ministers to go further on seizing oligarchs’ assets. The Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Bill received an unopposed third reading after it was rushed through the Commons on Monday. Reforms contained in the Bill have…


Charest to Be in Ottawa to Meet With Conservatives MPs to Discuss Party Leadership

OTTAWA—While the race to lead the Conservative Party of Canada may still only have one contender, its members of Parliament are being invited to meet with a potential second. Former Quebec premier Jean Charest will be in Ottawa this week to discuss the party’s leadership with Conservative MPs at an event hosted by two who…


Conservative Party’s Interim Leadership Shuffles Caucus Roles

The Conservative Party is shuffling some of its shadow cabinet roles, with Ed Fast returning as finance critic to replace Pierre Poilievre who cannot serve as critic due to his bid for party leadership. “During this unprecedented time in our nation’s history, Conservatives are focused on working to bring unity, calm, and wholeness back to…


Conservatives End Boycott of Parliament’s National Security Committee

OTTAWA—The federal Conservatives are ending their boycott of a special national security and intelligence committee made up of MPs and senators. Interim Conservative leader Candice Bergen announced the reversal this afternoon, saying Tory MPs Michelle Rempel Garner and Rob Morrison will represent the party on the committee. The move came two months after then-Conservative leader…


Japan’s Record $940 Billion Budget Set for Parliament Approval in March

TOKYO—A key Japanese parliamentary committee on Monday approved the government’s record $940 billion initial spending plan for the next fiscal year, setting the stage for the budget’s full passage through the legislature in March. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is counting on the budget to pull the world’s third-largest economy out of the COVID-19-induced doldrums with…


Unvaccinated MP Banned from West Australian Parliament

A member of a Western Australia (WA) minor party has been suspended from attending state parliament for failing to provide proof of vaccination. Legalise Cannabis MP Sophia Moermond had been forced to leave parliament house after a motion passed requiring vaccination to attend the government building. Moermond, who has previously raised concerns regarding the experimental…


Police Arrest Convoy Protesters at New Zealand’s Parliament

WELLINGTON, New Zealand—Police on Thursday arrested dozens of protesters who were camped out on the grounds of New Zealand’s Parliament on the third day of a convoy protest against coronavirus mandates. The arrests came after Parliament Speaker Trevor Mallard took the rare step of closing the grounds. Police called in more than 100 extra officers…


New Zealand Convoy Protesters Gather Near Parliament Against COVID-19 Restrictions

Hundreds of New Zealand protesters have gathered near the Parliament building in the country’s capital Wellington, demanding an end to COVID-19 restrictions and vaccine mandates. Arriving in convoy from around the country, cars, trucks, camper vans, and other vehicles jammed the capital’s streets for hours as they got out to meet and speak on Parliament’s…


Fire Reignites at South Africa’s Parliament in Cape Town

CAPE TOWN, South Africa—The fire that has already destroyed South Africa’s main Parliament chamber flared up again Monday about 36 hours after it started in the 130-year-old complex of historic buildings, authorities said. Firefighters have been sent back to the Parliament precinct in the center of Cape Town after flames re-appeared on the roof of…


Federal Privacy Watchdog Warns of Growing Dangers of ‘Surveillance Capitalism’

OTTAWA—The federal privacy watchdog is warning Canadians about the growing threat of surveillance capitalism—the use of personal information by large corporations. In his annual report tabled Thursday in Parliament, privacy commissioner Daniel Therrien said state surveillance—a major concern after the 9/11 terrorist attacks—has been reined in somewhat in recent years. Meanwhile, personal data has emerged…