Interrupting a day of debate on wanton constitutional vandalism, QP started off with Thomas Mulcair reading off a question about EI auditors “shadowing” claimants, to which Harper responded with some bog-standard response about EI being there when they need it. Mulcair then moved onto a question about Flaherty’s back-and-forth policy changes without consultation, and treated the Peter DeVries and Scott Clark article as though they were still currently employed by the department. Harper sang Flaherty’s praises in response. Mulcair carried on, citing Flaherty’s breach of ethics over the CRTC letter, not that Harper’s vigorous praises were diminished any less. Chris Charlton finished off the leader’s round, asking about EI training funds, but Jim Flaherty assured her that they consulted broadly on the budget. Bob Rae was up next, keeping up the issue of the EI training funds, but Harper touted just how transparent his government is as a non-sequitur response. Rae then brought up Dr. Arthur Porter’s party donations while he was SIRC chair, and wondered how he managed to escape a security clearance. Harper insisted that none of the allegations against Porter had to do with his time at SIRC — skirting the issue of donations. For his final question, Rae wondered why there wasn’t an inquiry into Jeffrey Delisle’s security breaches, but Harper told him that they’re not unique to Canada, and brought up the Bradley Manning case in the States.

Round two started with Anne-Marie Day, Philip Toone, and Yvon Godin all returning to the EI fraud investigations (Finley: We want people who paid for their benefits to get them when they need them), Guy Caron and Peggy Nash asked about the DeVries and Clark article on budget secrecy (Flaherty: That was a partisan report), and Sadia Groguhé and Jinny Sims asked about the partisan verb conjugation exercise uncovered in Saskatchewan (Finley: This wasn’t appropriate, we had no hand in it, but yay literacy programmes). Marc Garneau asked about the further delays to CF-18 replacements (Gourde: We have an options analysis), and Stéphane Dion returned to the issue of centralising EI training funds (Flaherty: We consulted widely on the budget). Charlie Angus and Alexandre Boulerice brought Arthur Porter’s party donations (Poilievre to Angus: iPod tax! Long-gun registry! To Boulerice: You contribute to Quebec Solidaire!).

Round three saw questions on Arctic sovereignty operations, cuts to Canadian Forces readiness, the planned CF-18 life extension plan, processed foods going unregulated, federal compensation for heritage sites in municipalities, CIDA working with mining companies in developing countries, credit card fees, data breaches, and temporary foreign workers.

And for the record, QP today was ridiculous. And all irony died when the NDP’s name-caller-in-chief, Charlie Angus, insisted that it wasn’t the place for schoolyard taunts. With a straight face. No, seriously.

Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to Shelly Glover for a black top and jacket with a white and brown patterned skirt, and to James Bezan for a dark grey suit with a lavender shirt and purple tie and pocket square. Style citations go out to Jonathan Genest-Jourdain for his loud check-patterned suit, which appears to have come directly from a chesterfield, and to Lynne Yelich for her bright yellow jacket with a black top and trousers. Dishonourable mention to Joan Crockatt for her choice of black leather belt over navy suit jacket.