Conservative MP Michael Barrett has introduced a private bill aimed at restoring accountability to Canada's parliamentary committees, says Blacklock's Reporter.Bill C-405 would impose a minimum six-month jail sentence and a potential $50,000 fine on witnesses who lie under oath."This is a mechanism to restore Canadians' confidence in our democratic institutions," Barrett said. "Common-sense Conservatives will stop the crime and restore accountability to Canada's Parliament."The bill comes on the heels of a historic censure of an ArriveCan supplier on the floor of the House of Commons, the first public shaming of a federal contractor since 1913. Kristian Firth, managing partner with GC Strategies Inc., was found in contempt for refusing to answer questions and providing misleading testimony.Legislators have long complained about the difficulty in holding witnesses accountable for perjury. Unlike in the US, where witnesses at congressional hearings testify under oath and face criminal penalties for lying, Canadian parliamentary committees rarely require witnesses to take an oath.Sen. Nicole Eaton, who debated penalties for lying witnesses in 2018, said, "To me, this is not a partisan issue... Would it be better if officials came before a Senate committee or a Commons committee and were put under oath? Would that improve things? Would that drive home the culture, that you come to a Senate and Commons committee and tell the truth, not to evade the truth?"Under the US law, lying to a legislative committee can lead to up to five years in prison, as seen in the case of former Attorney General John Mitchell, who was jailed for 19 months following the Watergate scandal.
