The Senate is staying closed for two more weeks, not planning to sit again until June 16. The upper chamber is following the lead of the House of Commons, which doesn’t have a scheduled sitting until the day after that.
The House of Commons has MPs meeting regularly through a special committee on COVID-19 but without the authority to pass laws or use many of the Commons’ other usual powers. [ Sign up for our Health IQ newsletter for the latest coronavirus updates ] Senate Speaker George Furey says he consulted all the leaders of the Senate’s various factions and groups before concluding it’s not in the public interest to convene as scheduled next week.