OTTAWA — Ten newly elected members of Parliament are being shown the ropes today even as questions swirl around what the next session of Parliament will look like.
The 10 MPs are the first of 52 rookie parliamentarians who will receive orientations as they prepare to represent their constituents in the House of Commons following last week's federal election.
Offered in person and online, the training sessions include everything from how to manage their office budgets and hire staff to training on sexual harassment prevention and working in a virtual Parliament.
The sessions come amid uncertainty around when Parliament will actually resume as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has yet to say when his new cabinet will be sworn in and a throne speech delivered.
It's also unclear whether parliamentarians will be required to return to in-person sittings, or whether they will be allowed to again attend House of Commons proceedings virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
While parties previously allowed virtual attendance, those provisions expired when Parliament rose in June, and parties say talks on whether to revive that approach won't start in earnest until the cabinet is announced.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 27, 2021.
The Canadian Press
