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On Tuesday, a smattering of MPs returned to the House of Commons, which had been recessed from March 13 until at least April 20, to vote on an $82-billion emergency spending bill to rapidly get money into the hands of struggling Canadians who are unable to work as a result of measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Every opposition party had made it clear to the ruling Liberal government that they would fully co-operate and quickly pass Bill C-13 in one day. The Conservatives, the NDP and the Bloc showed good faith in the government, but the government did not return that good faith. When the opposition parties saw a copy of the draft of the COVID-19 bill, there was a clause in it that would have granted the finance minister the right to spend money, tax Canadians, and purchase or hold a company’s shares without the approval of Parliament until Dec. 31, 2021, or until the first day of 2022 — a span of 21 months.

“We recognize that this pandemic is moving extremely quickly and it is an exceptional situation that requires extreme flexibility and rapidity,” Trudeau said when questioned by reporters outside of Rideau Cottage, where he is self-isolating.

In essence, the PM was taking advantage of this pandemic to seize power and strengthen his minority government — which is not unlike what those hoarders do who buy up flats of disinfectant wipes to profiteer during this crisis — only on a much grander and vile scale.

When it became obvious that the passage of the bill was stalled because of his government’s underhanded attempt to usurp the power of Parliament, Trudeau then sent out a tweet saying: “The legislation will be tabled without Clause 2.”