Canada's two largest political parties clashed today ahead of a parliamentary vote on a Conservative motion to set up a wide-ranging investigation of the federal government's COVID-19 response.

The motion — which would direct the government to hand over to the House of Commons health committee a trove of documents, emails and other records — is expected to pass with support from the NDP and Bloc Québécois when it comes to a vote this afternoon around 3 p.m.

But prominent Liberals continue to voice strenuous opposition to the motion today. Canada's procurement minister argued that it would jeopardize the ability of the federal government to secure adequate supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE), COVID-19 rapid tests and vaccines.

"As we are in the middle of the second wave and the number of COVID cases continues to increase, this is not the time for this motion to be passed," Public Services and Procurement Minister Anita Anand told reporters.

"This is not the time to threaten and weaken our relationships with our suppliers, on whom Canadians' health and safety depends."

WATCH: Opposition health critic says now is the time to evaluate federal pandemic response

Opposition health critic says now is the time to evaluate federal pandemic response

58 minutes ago

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Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner says it is Parliament's job to look into the government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. 1:50

Anand said the extensive disclosure requested by the Official Opposition — particularly of documents related to the purchase of PPE, medical devices and pharmaceuticals — could cause sensitive corporate information to be released inadvertently. 

If that happens, Anand said, it could undermine the federal government's relationship with key companies at a time when the it remains locked in tense contract negotiations to secure medical supplies in a competitive global environment.

Conservative health critic Michelle Rempel Garner, who originally presented the motion, rejected Anand's comments as "hyperbolic" and "bombastic." She said the government was "fearmongering" and that the motion includes appropriate safeguards to ensure that sensitive corporate information remains under wraps.

"There are people worrying about continued business shutdowns, being isolated from family members. And because of this, now is the perfect time for Parliament to be working together, to be questioning whether what we're doing in terms of a response from the federal government is working," said Rempel Garner.

She accused the Liberals of trying to trigger an election, although the government has pledged not to treat this motion as a confidence matter.

Disagreement over redactions

Part of the dispute comes down to who gets to decide which information is redacted from the documents. The motion includes language providing for the withholding of any information that would interfere with "contractual or other negotiations between the Government of Canada and a third party."

The House of Commons law clerk would decide which information meets that threshold. Anand warned that the clerk does not have the expertise in procurement needed to properly redact records that would surface through the probe.

Anand said the Liberals proposed amending the language of the motion so that the Privy Council Office (PCO) would make those decisions, but the Conservatives rejected that suggestion.

The PCO co-ordinates the actions of the government across departments and serves as the bureaucracy for the Prime Minister's Office.

"It's not just a question of violating existing contracts that, for example, may have confidentiality clauses in them," said Anand. 

"It's also a question of undermining current negotiations, which the House of Commons law clerk may not have knowledge of, and therefore may undermine the approach that we have been taking to our procurements."

Anand said Public Services and Procurement Canada already has disclosed on its website information relating to 300 contracts valued at $6 billion, but that information was released after careful consideration.

Rempel Garner said the law clerk's office has the expertise necessary to determine what information should be redacted, and that the PCO is not independent enough from the government to do so.

"I don't believe that the government should be redacting its own documents," said Rempel Garner.

Opposition from health experts, industry

A variety of industry groups, companies and other experts have warned that such a wide-ranging investigation could hamper the civil service as it manages the response to the pandemic's second wave.

Dr. David Naylor, co-chair of the federal government's COVID-19 immunity task force, said the proposed study is too expansive and will ultimately create more work and distractions for the federal public service at a time when it is already working flat-out.

Last week, a major industry association said releasing confidential documents detailing the federal government's business deals with suppliers of personal protective equipment and testing devices could hurt Canadian manufacturers and sully Canada's global business reputation.

Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Canada is the latest to express concerns about the probe. In a statement, Pfizer says it wants to know how its commercial secrets will be protected.

"We are deeply concerned with the implications and unintended consequences of the motion on our COVID-19 vaccine studies and program as well as the ongoing discussions around the procurement of the vaccine," the statement said.

"We respectfully invite parliamentarians to consider including stronger language in a new motion that would specifically cover scientific and commercial sensitive information."