There was no Question Period today, given the visit by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to Parliament, and in lieu of business in the Chamber, he delivered a speech to a joint session of Parliament. I hadn’t intended to live-blog the speech, but for posterity, here are some of my tweets, for those of you who aren’t following me on the Twitter Machine.
Harper with the president of Ukraine. #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/P2L6HrrAHs
— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) September 17, 2014
Someone at BBC picked up on this photo, but in crediting me in his tweet, I became subject to a lot of anti-Poroshenko tweets in my feed. Yay Twitter!
A couple of hours later, everyone filed into the Commons for the speech itself.
I see a number of non-MPs filling desks in the Commons. Senators seated in chairs in the centre aisle. #HoC
— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) September 17, 2014
Harper starts off welcoming Poroshenko, recalls being in Kyiv for his swearing in. #HoC
— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) September 17, 2014
Harper touts trying to isolate Putin's regime diplomatically. #HoC
— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) September 17, 2014
Harper says it's a matter of kinship, family, that it's personal and that we will stand by Ukraine. #HoC
— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) September 17, 2014
Poroshenko now up at the lectern. Says it's hard to have a speech in such an atmosphere. #HoC
— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) September 17, 2014
Calls Ukrainian the "third official language of Canada." Says countries are very close. #HoC
— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) September 17, 2014
Poroshenko says now is the real fight for Ukraine's independence, says that they no longer can claim peaceful independence process. #HoC
— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) September 17, 2014
Shout-out to helmets and bullet-proof vests we gave to Ukraine, financial and technical assistance. #HoC
— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) September 17, 2014
Says Ukraine has crossed a Rubicon, will never return to awful past, says EU membership is the next goal. #HoC
— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) September 17, 2014
Poroshenko says Ukraine about to launch telecommunications satellite built by Canadian firm MDA, will own their own information space. #HoC
— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) September 17, 2014
At this point, they let us take pictures in the Chamber (which is generally verboten, but with MPs taking and tweeting photos, and the Mace not in the Chamber, they eventually relented and let us take them).
With the photoban lifted, here is Poroshenko speaking. #HoC pic.twitter.com/sugTxGh9V7
— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) September 17, 2014
After professing his love for Canada, Poroshenko wraps up. Much applause. #HoC pic.twitter.com/PhZhJXdGO0
— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) September 17, 2014
(Incidentally, that’s a style citation to Diane Finley, pictured in the front row on the far right).
Senate Speaker Kinsella now speaking, praises Poroshenko. #HoC pic.twitter.com/yV19RwOgHY
— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) September 17, 2014
And now Speaker Scheer. #HoC pic.twitter.com/DVcjrJIuGP
— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) September 17, 2014
Afterward, a rally was held on the Hill, which I snapped a quick photo of as I left.
Ukraine rally happening now on the Hill. pic.twitter.com/E5l36W8Vt9
— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) September 17, 2014