Despite it being caucus day, the Conservative benches were surprisingly sparse as QP got underway, but given that all leaders were present, we would at least have some excitement. Thomas Mulcair started off by asking if impersonating an elections official to suppress votes was not already a crime. Harper instead talked up his new elections bill, and all the great things that were in it. Mulcair hit back by accusing the bill of being a cover for an attack on Elections Canada given the various investigations, but Harper insisted that the courts cleared them of any wrongdoing, which wasn’t entirely the case if memory serves. Mulcair turned to the provisions around voter IDs and the vouching system, but Harper rejected the claim that this was discouraging people from voting. Justin Trudeau was up next, and brought up the tariff hikes from the last election, and noted that the lower dollar would make things even more expensive. Harper rejected the claim, and said that it was about levelling the playing field. Trudeau brought up the IMF’s projections regarding anaemic growth, to which Harper insisted that Canada came out of the recession with some of the strongest growth in the world.

Round two, and Mulcair was back up and brought up senators’ residency requirements for those he appointed (Harper: many parliamentarians maintain two residences, and that’s not the issue here), he asked about a warning by Nigel Wright of other senators who weren’t following the rules and why he said they were fine (Harper: They are not under investigation), Craig Scott and Nycole Turmel both asked about people having their right to vote stripped (Poilievre: There was a 25 percent error rate in vouching according to audits) while Scott asked why parliamentary oversight was being lost with the moving of the Commissioner of Elections under the Director of Public Prosecutions (Poilievre: All parties need to sign off on the DPP’s appointment), while Turmel asked why the exceptions were being carved out for fundraising (Poilievre: Fundraising is separate from campaigning — but it was a convoluted explanation) and why they refused to allow the power to compel testimony in the reforms (Poilievre: Witnesses must appear in court after formal charges), and Chris Charlton asked about opportunities to reach out to younger voters (Poilievre: Most young Canadians don’t know all the ways that they can vote). Chrystia Freeland returned to yesterday’s question on the IMF’s warnings and the need to address the productivity gap (Sorensen: But we’re doing great in the G7 countries), John McCallum asked about youth unemployment (Sorensen: We’ve created so many jobs), and Ralph Goodale pointed to dismal fiscal performance by the government (Sorensen: We’re going to push forward). Peggy Nash demanded a tax credit for youth job creation and eco home refits (Sorensen: We’re creating jobs), and a crackdown on payday lenders (Sorensen: You would rather have us raise taxes), and Jack Harris and Élaine Michaud asked about the more bureaucracy would help the abysmal procurement system (Finley: We’ve several successful military procurement projects and this procurement strategy will maximise benefits for Canada).

Round three saw questions on the vulnerable workers impacted by the loss of Labour Market Agreements, the lack of adequate pensions and increasing the CPP, the new procurement strategy, the lack of testimony compulsion in the elections bill, the scourge of nickel dust at the Port of Quebec, the closure of fisheries libraries, the situation in Ukraine, a flood on a First Nations reserve, and the American tax measures that would punish dual citizens (Sorensen: We have negotiated exemptions with the Americans).

Overall, it was a lively QP today, but I was struck by the lack of questions on veterans, despite it being the burning issue up until now, apparently. There were nevertheless some good exchanges throughout, which made it one of the better days of late.

Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to Matthew Dubé for a black suit with a white and purple shirt and purple tie, and to Lisa Raitt for a nicely tailored black suit and v-necked top. Style citations go out to Shelly Glover for a three-quarter sleeved black jacket with studded brass epaulets, and to LaVar Payne for a dark grey suit with a black shirt and white tie.