The Senate was sitting early on a Friday morning as part of the final push to get the last of the bills that need to be passed done so before they rise for the Christmas break. Routine proceedings in the Chamber proceeded swiftly, and Question Period began early.

Senator Cordy led off, asking about an issue of a specific home care case in Alberta that she had raised with the leader of the government in the Senate weeks ago and had not yet heard a response to. Senator Carignan, who answers on behalf of the government, noted that he had raised the issue with Ministers Kenney or Alexander. Cordy updated the file with issue of work permits for a caregiver who was already in the country as a temporary foreign worker, but whose paperwork was being delayed for several more weeks. Carignan asked Cordy to have the woman in question send a letter directly, so that he could follow up with the ministers directly. Cordy noted that the woman in question has tried already and had no response, nor from her MP who insisted that nothing could be expedited, but would forward all of her correspondence to him in the next few minutes.

Senator Hervieux-Payette was up next, and noted the report by Justice Arbour about reducing the number of days that prisoners spend in solitary confinement. Carignan insisted that solitary confinement was a common practice across western countries, and that Corrections Canada used all of the tools at their disposal.

Senator Fraser rose next to note the government’s response to the Ashley Smith report, one year later, and paid particular attention to the solitary confinement issue therein. Senator Carignan responded that the government had already implemented half of the recommendations in the report, and had begun an action plan around mental health in prisons. Fraser retorted that she was sure that Smith’s mother was grateful for Carignan’s thoughts and prayers before she laid into the problems caused by solitary confinement, which makes things worse and not better for prisoners. Carignan repeated his lines that solitary confinement is widely used and that they have an Action Plan™ around mental health. Fraser somewhat sarcastically noted that a whole two extra treatment beds for female inmates would really make a difference, before she noted the issue of suicides in prisons, and that the UK has a total of four prisoners in solitary confinement, unlike the seven percent of prisoners in Canada. Carignan repeated his talking points, and Fraser rose point out that she has not yet heard a response to her initial question, why Canada was out of step around these practices that make prisoners worse than when they entered. Carignan insisted that he had answered, and said that they know that prisons aren’t the place to treat people with severe mental illness, and launched into another paean for the Action Plan™. Senator Jaffer rose for a supplementary, and asked if solitary confinement was a “barbaric act” (in reference to the ongoing debate on Bill S-7, which she has denounced). Carignan sputtered a bit about the same talking points, and on a further supplemental, Jaffer asked for a breakdown of which of the recommendations from the Ashley Smith had been implemented. Carignan took the question on notice.

Senator Hervieux-Payette got back up to note comments that the Governor of the Bank of Canada made about the economy, particularly with regard to falling oil prices. Carignan took that as a cue to praise the government’s economic management, and how the prime minister was the best person for the job. Hervieux-Payette noted the overvaluation of the housing market, but Carignan gave assurances that the government had taken “concrete measures” to encourage Canadians to not carry too much debt, and said that they deserve congratulations and not criticism. No, seriously. Hervieux-Payette noted that people are being encouraged to run up credit card debt, and the problems of mortgage debt. Carignan recited the same talking points that Joe Oliver does their voluntary measures around credit cards.

Senator Munson raised Brian Mulroney’s statement that Supply Management should be phased out. Carignan insisted that the government has always been clear that the government supports Supply Management. Munson pressed, and to the same response.

And that was it for QP. I will note that the tone is always better here than in the Other Place, and that MPs should take notes about how to better conduct themselves. Senator Fraser’s sarcastic smackdown on the issue of solitary confinement was wonderful to behold, and I long for the days when we used to see these kinds of exchanges on a more regular basis in the Commons.

Sartorially speaking, snaps to out to Senator Janis Johnson for a nicely cut brown leather jacket and black slacks, and to Senator David Wells for a tailored navy suit with a crisp white shirt and red tie. Style citations to out to Senator Leo Housakos for a black suit with a grey vertically striped shirt and a grey diagonally-striped tie, and to Senator Rose-May Poirier for a hot pink leopard print jacket with black slacks.