As a Thursday before a break week, MPs were already starting to filter away from the Hill, all major leader already absent. While Harper is in China, Mulcair was in Whitby to campaign for the by-election there, Justin Trudeau to do the same in Yellowhead. That meant that Megan Leslie kicked off QP, asking about major layoff announcements, blaming the government for them. Peter Van Loan answered, praising the government’s job creation record. Leslie brought up tax evasion and the Public Service Pension Investment Board’s scheme, to which Tony Clement assured her that the board is arm’s length from the government. Leslie noted the depressed staffing levels at CRA as possible explanations for why they are not going after tax cheats. Clement assured her that some 8000 investigations for overseas tax evasion were undertaken. Nycole Turmel asked the same in French, got the same response in French, before Turmel brought up the harassment allegations and the Status of Women committee’s report on harassment in the workplace, asking the committee chair when they would meet. Hélène LeBlanc noted Turmel’s career in the public service and that they should make harassment a thing of the past — not answering the question. Ralph Goodale asked about the economy shrinking, to which Joe Oliver insisted that things were great, and even Standards & Poors reconfirmed the country’s AAA credit rating. Goodale then blasted the income splitting tax credit, to which Candice Bergen brought up the “beer and popcorn” talking point — again avoiding the issue of income splitting. Dominic LeBlanc noted the problems with income splitting in French, and Bergen again avoided the issue of income splitting.

Round two, and Hoang Mai asked about 700 jobs in transport safety not being filled (Watson: Transport Canada is looking into the situation), Lysane Blanchette-Lamothe, Sadia Groughé, Jinny Sims and Andrew Cash asked about refugee claimant healthcare, citing specific examples (Alexander: We will continue with our appeal, you don’t have any credibility), and Cash and Laurin Liu asked about unpaid interns and harassment (Leitch: Here are ways they are protected under the Canada Labour Code). Judy Foote returned to the issue of income splitting (Bergen: Here are other direct benefits), Scott Brison asked about the small business job credit not having any internal analysis (Oliver: The CFIB said it will create 25,000 person years of jobs), and the 90 percent cut in infrastructure this year (Braid: We are making record investments in infrastructure…over the next decade). Hélène Laverdière asked about the Ebola travel ban (Alexander: There is no travel ban, and we are discouraging people from those countries from travelling to Canada), and Pierre Nantel asked about certain members of the CBC Board of Directors (Glover: You are attacking Canadians who contribute, and it’s arm’s length), and the planned renaming of the new Champlain Bridge (Gourde: We are proceeding with a new bridge).

Round three saw questions on the military’s budget cuts, cost estimates for the Iraq mission that they refuse to share, the delay in implemented the recommendations of the New Veterans Charter, funding lapses at Veterans Affairs, drug safety risks being delayed in reporting, refugee claimant healthcare, the needs of cities, a grounded ship being an environmental hazard, spectrum licences for local rural Internet providers, the temporary foreign workers rules affecting Quebec farmers, and the Energy East pipeline route.

Overall, it was a fairly sleepy day, but I wanted to flag Nycole Turmel’s second question as an incredibly bizarre exchange. Turmel asked the committee chair — an MP from her own party — when the committee would meet again. Said chair responded by praising Turmel’s career in fighting workplace harassment — not answering the question. Add to this, the fact that the committee isn’t meeting is because the NDP refuses to concur in the report on the new committee membership lists, ostensibly out of protest for the government’s use of time allocation and so on. Given how tightly scripted the NDP questions are, and make no mistake that both were reading their questions and responses, it seems like this was really sloppy work (and yet another reminder as to why I want scripts abolished).

Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to James Bezan for a charcoal suit with a lavender shirt and brilliant purple tie, and to Rona Ambrose for a snow leopard print dress with a black jacket. Style citation goes out to Lysane Blanchette-Lamothe for a black tunic with a white and black patterned collar and front panel, and to LaVar Payne for a black suit with a light purple shirt and brilliant blue striped tie.