Conservative MP Larry Brock Criticizes Colleagues Over No-Show Meeting

A Conservative Member of Parliament criticized his colleagues for not attending a scheduled Justice Committee meeting that, according to official records, was never set to take place. On Tuesday, Larry Brock, MP for Brantford—Brant South—Six Nations, shared a video on social media expressing his frustration over the absence of Liberal committee members during what he claimed was a justice committee meeting.

In the video posted to X and Facebook, Brock, who serves as co-vice-chair of the committee, was seen alongside fellow Conservative MPs Roman Baber, Amarjeet Gill, and Andrew Lawton. He stated, “We are here in our room, ready to start a justice committee meeting, but … we’re the only ones in this room.” Brock highlighted the absence of Marc Miller, the Liberal chair of the committee, as well as other Liberal and Bloc Québécois members.

The standing committee on justice and human rights typically holds meetings every Tuesday and Thursday, as listed on its public calendar at OurCommons.ca. However, there was no meeting scheduled for that day, marking the committee’s last gathering on June 17, 2023. Efforts to reach the committee clerk and Miller’s office for comment were unsuccessful. A representative from Brock’s office was unavailable for further discussion.

Freelance journalist Dale Smith, who has reported on Parliament for nearly two decades, described Brock’s actions as “rage bait.” He commented, “The unfortunate thing about what has become of Parliament these days is that everything is now geared toward performance art in order to get clips for social media.” As of Friday afternoon, Brock’s post had garnered over 300,000 views on X, alongside nearly 6,000 likes and over 3,000 shares on Facebook.

Brock’s video caption read, “UNBELIEVABLE. Parliament is back, but Liberal members of the Justice Committee are MISSING IN ACTION. Crime is out of control, Canadians are terrified, but Conservatives are ready to restore safety to our streets.” The post attracted a mixed response, with over 1,000 comments ranging from calls for absent MPs to resign to praise for Brock’s efforts.

On the day prior, Brock had posted a letter on his Facebook page requesting that the committee chair convene a meeting to address urgent justice issues. He expressed concern about high rates of recidivism and the fear prevalent among Canadian families, stating, “Canadians are deeply concerned about repeat violent offenders and high rates of recidivism.”

Despite his insistence that he received “crickets” in response to his letter, Smith clarified that the parliamentary process stipulates only the committee chair or a joint written request from four members can convene a meeting. According to the House of Commons procedure and practice document, the chair must schedule a meeting within ten sitting days, provided members are given 48 hours’ notice.

Smith urged caution regarding the interpretation of such videos, stating, “A lot of this stuff is being either carefully manipulated in a way so that either facts are being contorted in order to make people angry, or facts are being omitted to make things sound worse than they are.” He described the situation as fabricated, suggesting that it was a deliberate attempt to portray the government and Bloc Québécois as neglectful regarding criminal issues.

The incident reflects ongoing tensions within Canadian politics, where the dynamics of social media and parliamentary procedure intersect, raising questions about accountability and the role of performance in political discourse.

As discussions continue regarding justice and public safety in Canada, the spotlight remains on how MPs engage with their responsibilities and the implications of their public statements.