It was caucus day, and the Liberals and Conservatives met their new MPs elected in Monday’s by-elections, not that any of them will be sworn in for a couple more weeks. Outside the Chamber, the NDP continued to froth about comments that Justin Trudeau made around hope and fear. When QP got started, Thomas Mulcair asked about the written agreement in the Duffy documents about the Prime Minister publicly declaring his fitness to be a PEI senator. Harper assured him that while some MPs and senators have a secondary residence, it was inappropriate to make some expense claims on some of them. Mulcair wondered if that inclusion in the deal was a coincidence, but Harper said that those who are appointed to the Senate are expected to live up to their expectations and Duffy did not. Mulcair wondered if this declaration was part of the “good to go,” and Harper said that residency was not the issue. Mulcair pressed about what the approval was supposed to be about, but Harper insisted that the documents are clear that it was understood that Duffy would pay his own expenses. Justin Trudeau was up next for the Liberals, and asked about Senator Gerstein’s interference in the Deloitte audit, and once again asked why Gerstein enjoyed Harper’s confidence. Harper avoided the question, and insisted that this was only about Wright and Duffy. Trudeau pressed on the issue, but Harper just repeated his non-answer.

Mulcair was back up for round two, and wondered if the Criminal Code was Harper’s only ethical standard (Harper: You sat on a bribery allegation for 17 years), why Gerstein was still in caucus (Harper: You got six figures worth of payments from your party), are we talking principle or price (Harper: Those two individuals didn’t seek authorisation and it was improper), what did you know (Harper: RCMP investigators said I had no knowledge), what about Senator Stewart-Olsen’s version of events and why is she still in caucus (Harper: Only the two individuals are under investigation), and what about Jim Love of the Royal Canadian Mint and his tax avoidance schemes (Harper: That’s a private dispute but look at our record on tax havens). Trudeau was back up, and pressed three more times on the Gerstein question yet again (Harper: The real issue here is Duffy’s actions). Murray Rankin returned to the issue of Jim Love (Findlay: This is a dispute between two private parties), and Paul Dewar and Hélène Laverdière asked about the new “trade-only foreign policy” (Baird: Nothing could be further from the truth).

Round three saw questions on the AG’s report on food recalls, rail safety, the need for infrastructure funds for municipalities, PEI outmigration as a result of EI changes, the expiration of affordable housing funds, rebranding Government of Canada as “Harper Government” in violation of Treasury Board guidelines, Treasury Board ignoring AG recommendations, EI changes affecting the regions, and the call for a UN climate conference.

Overall, Mulcair was on fire for the early part of round two, while Trudeau showed definite growth today, his round two questions done without any notes. He started off a bit shaky, but built up steam as he went along, and gave a strong finish. One of his staffers even noted in the Foyer afterward that they didn’t even know what he would be asking. Harper, it was also noted, refused to even say Gerstein’s name, and simply avoided even acknowledging questions about him. We also very nearly got away with a full QP without Paul Calandra, but that hope was dashed at the very end.

Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to Matthew Kellway for a black suit with a lavender shirt and purple and black striped tie, and to Lisa Raitt for a brown suit with a red top. Style citations go out to Cathy McLeod for a black turtleneck with a maroon jacket, and to Jamie Nicholls for a grey suit with a cranberry shirt and a black patterned tie. Honourable mention to Michelle Rempel for some killer black Louboutin heels. Dishonourable mentions goes out to Leona Aglukkaq for a black suit with a yellow top, to Kelly Block for a orangish-yellow jacket with a black top and trousers, and to Jean Rousseau for a black suit with a green-tinged fluorescent yellow shirt and brown and grey striped tie.