With none of the leaders present in the House, it was up to Megan Leslie to lead off QP for the NDP, where she asked about the contradiction about Harper claiming on the radio earlier in the morning that Nigel Wright had been fired whereas it was previously established that he resigned. Paul Calandra was up to respond, and said that to his credit, Wright had taken full responsibility for the payout to Duffy and no longer worked in the PMO. Leslie tried to press as to how many Conservatives were aware of the payout to Duffy, but Calandra insisted that it was all in the court affidavits. Nycole Turmel was up next to repeat the same in French, to which Calandra repeated his same talking points, and for her supplemental, Turmel brought up the deal that Senator Carignan offered to Braseau, and wondered if the PM was aware of it. Calandra said that they wanted them to take a measure of responsibility and called for the Liberals in the Senate to stand down and pass the suspensions (never mind the senators in the Conservative caucus who are opposed). Dominic LeBlanc was up for the Liberals, and returned to the same questions about the Prime Minister’s changing talking points, but Calandra didn’t veer from his same talking points, and again called on the Liberals in the Senate to stop their obstruction. LeBlanc closed the round by asking why Harper wouldn’t answer questions about the affair under oath, but Calandra’s talking points didn’t change.

Round two started with Charlie Angus returning to the question of the deal that Carignan made to Brazeau, and did the PM know and was it offered to Wallin or Duffy (Calandra: The Senate conducts its own affairs), and wondered if party lawyer Arthur Hamilton was involved in the Wright payment (Calandra: I refer you to the court affidavits), Alexandre Boulerice asked if Ray Novak instructed Carignan to make the deal with Brazeau (Calandra: Canadians want an accountable senate!), Lysane Blanchette-Lamothe asked about any instructions to Senator Stewart-Olsen when she was on the Internal Economy committee (Calandra: No), and if the PM approved of Stewart-Olsen’s housing claims which are similar to Duffy’s (Calandra: We want an accountable Senate!). Judy Foote asked if Nigel Wright got any separation pay, whether he was fired or resigned (Calandra: He received what was required under law), and Scott Andrews tried to ask a pair of questions on government ethics, but his use of phrases like “grubby little fingers” and “cheating” had the Speaker shut him down both times. Romeo Saganash asked about the lapsing lease at First Nations University (Valcourt: They declined to participate in the call for tender), Jean Crowder asked about the First Nations education funding gap (Valcourt: This legislation imposes a statutory obligation on the minister that doesn’t currently exist), and Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet and Matthew Kellway asked about the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ call for more affordable housing (Bergen: We put money in the last budget for this, and we work in partnership with CMHC).

Round three saw questions on Transportation Safety Board reporting on transporting oil by rail and pipeline, the exemption of in situ oil sands sites from federal environmental assessments — never mind that it’s provincial jurisdiction, the scrapping of the creators assistance portion of the Canada Music Fund, the government’s dismal economic plan, the mismanagement of the Sikorsky helicopter procurement, the appearance of cellphone towers coming up against the country, the rejection of security screenings at the Sherbrooke airport, the gradual disappearance of beluga whales from the St. Lawrence, and the imminent passage of the death-with-dignity legislation in Quebec (MacKay: We have no intention on reopening the debate).

Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to Bernard Trottier for a dark grey suit with a lavender shirt and light purple spotted tie, and to Lisa Raitt for a deep blue top with a black skirt and long jacket with a subtle houndstooth pattern. Style citations go out to Diane Finley for a bile yellow top and skirt with a similarly-toned jacket with a windowpane pattern, and to Colin Carrie for a black jacket with a dark melon pink shirt and a navy patterned tie. Dishonourable mention goes out to Candice Bergen for a black jacket with a yellow top.