It being Tuesday, and lo and behold, all three leaders were in the House. Praise be. Thomas Mulcair led off with a softball about the assistance that Canada is deploying to Nigeria to help locate the schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram. Stephen Harper offered a condemnation of Boko Haram, needn’t said that Canadian personnel were in Nigeria to help authorities there. Mulcair moved on to ask a short question as to whether he advised Justice Nadon to resign and rejoin the Quebec Bar. Harper spoke about advice he received that said appointing him from the Federal Court would be okay. Mulcair noted that he didn’t get an answer and asked which staffer gave Nadon that advice to resign. Harper reiterated his answer. Mulcair changed topics again and demanded severe financial penalties for companies that breach railway safety rules. Harper noted improvements that had been made to the safety network, and that they were coordinating with the United States before congratulating the police for laying charges on the individuals involved in the Lac Mégantic disaster. Mulcair insisted that nothing had really been done, but Harper insisted that they were indeed taking measures. Justin Trudeau rose for the Liberals and noted his visit to Fort McMurray before saying that the Temporary Foreign Workers programme was increasing unemployment in Alberta. Harper retorted that the Liberals were looking for more TFWs for their ridings. Trudeau pointed out the ways that the government loosened the rules and demanded the adoption of his party’s plans. Harper said that while there was a need for some workers, it shouldn’t be a business model. Trudeau then noted the objections to the changes in Quebec, but Harper reiterated his assertion that the Liberals wanted even more TFWs.

Round two, and Jinny Sims and Sadia Groguhé demanded a full and independent audit of the TFW programme (Kenney: You keep asking for various exemptions), Groguhé added the a question about the bad data that the TFW applications were relying on (Kenney: Look at what your MPs wanted permits for), Alexandre Boulerice and Charlie Angus asked about who had contact with Bruce Carson’s illegal lobbying efforts (Calandra: These are allegations against a private individual who did not receive any government contracts), and Jean Crowder, Jonathan Genest-Jourdain and Romeo Saganash called for a national inquiry on missing and murdered Aboriginal women (MacKay: We are taking concrete and substantive action). Chrystia Freeland asked about the April job numbers (Oliver: Individual monthly numbers can be volatile, but our job growth record is very strong), John McCallum asked about the attempts to tighten the TFW programme after they loosened it in the first place (Kenney: We have made reforms and we will make more in a few weeks), and Emmanuel Dubourg asked the chair of the Procedures committee about the investigation into NDP mass mailings (Preston: We have been trying to gather a number of documents, and a number have not yet been delivered). Murray Rankin asked about the provisions in the omnibus bill that would allow police to access tax data without a warrant (Findlay: There are rare occasions when CRA officials would become aware of information that makes them suspicious of criminal activity and should be able to share it with police, but we are protecting privacy), Guy Caron asked about youth unemployment (Oliver: One million net new jobs!) and Nathan Cullen asked about long term unemployment (Oliver: We are confident we’ll achieve budgetary service next year).

Round three saw questions on the Building Canada Fund project approvals, a “deepening” infrastructure crisis in cities and in particular Toronto, the ice melt in the Western Antarctic, the pending approval process for the Northern Gateway pipeline, the secrecy of the Social Security Tribunal, advertising failing programmes during the playoffs, the situation in Sri Lanka, opening markets for Canadian exports, and the Quebec dairy sector vis-à-vis CETA.

Overall, it was a bit of a wasted day as questions were again scattershot, non-answers were not followed up on in favour of sticking to scripts and getting planned news clips. There were questions on private members’ business and questions that were answered before being asked again more forcefully in French. In other words, it was a day of more scripts, and more proof that they should be banned from the Chamber. Also, good job Liberals in holding the NDP to account – because they’re really the government. Sigh.

Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to Linda Duncan for a khaki coloured dress with a green and black geometric deco pattern, and to Greg Rickford for a tailored black suit with a white shirt and pocket square and a black and grey tartan-patterned tie. Style citations go out to Alex Atamanenko for a tan corduroy jacket it’s a brown shirt, tan tie and black trousers, and to Shelly Glover for a black and white patterned top with a frilly collar and cuffs with a black vest and trousers.