An unintended consequence of the exceedingly long election campaign of 78 days is that MPs’ parliamentary privilege will expire during the writ period.
Normally, this would be mere trivia, but this campaign is being waged during the ongoing criminal trial of suspended senator Mike Duffy.
His trial, currently in hiatus, resumes August 12, and the crucial testimony of Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s chief of staff, Nigel Wright, is expected on that day or shortly after.
in Election 2015, that privilege will expire at the mid-way point of the campaign, on September 11, 2015.
When the privilege resumes — the 40 days before the next session– would depend on when parliament resumes sitting, with the swearing in of MPs.
Should the elected prime minister, whoever he or she might be, bring parliament back the day after the election, October 20, then the privilege would extend retroactively back to September 10, 2015.
There is, however, no need to recall parliament so quickly. Usually, several weeks or months pass after an election before the session begins. Indeed, some have speculated that the House will not sit again until later in the fall or maybe not until early in the new year.