QP: Engaging at all levels

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Tuesday in the Commons, and all of the leaders were present. Apparently Mondays don’t count. Thomas Mulcair led off asking about Mohamed Fahmy and demanded that the Prime Minister contact the Egyptian President directly. Stephen Harper responded by saying that they have raised it at all levels, including his own, and that they would continue to press the case. Mulcair said that it wasn’t a clear answer, and asked it again. Harper repeated the substance of his answer, and and dead his disappointment in the lack of progress. Mulcair moved onto C-51, to which Harper dismissed the criticisms as “ridiculous.” Mulcair then asked if Harper felt that SIRC was adequate oversight when even SIRC’s members indicated otherwise. Harper expressed dismay that Mulcair compared Canada’s human rights record to Egypt’s, and read a passage about judicial authorization — nothing to do with the question. Mulcair then changed topics to ask about a backbencher’s musing about using the Notwithstanding Clause on the doctor-assisted dying issue. Harper said he respects the decision of the courts, and was listening to Canadians. Justin Trudeau was up for the Liberals, and wondered if they would support their supply day motion on creating a special committee to study the issue. Harper said that it was a delicate issue and threw it to the Commons justice committee to study it if they wish. Trudeau noted the time crunch, to which Harper repeated that it was a non-partisan issue and repeated his previous answer. Trudeau noted that Harper hadn’t actually answered on the Notwithstanding Clause question, and asked again — not that he got a different answer.

Round two, and Randall Garrison wondered if the government was going to ram C-51 through committee (Blaney: We should care about terrorism in this country; don’t treat CSIS like criminals), Rosane Doré Lefebvre wanted to hear from the former PMs on C-51 (Blaney: Look at the good things in this bill) and the needed for more oversight (Blaney: Judicial authorisation!), Don Davies and Ruth Ellen Brosseau asked about the BSE case in Alberta affecting exports (Ritz: It’s a small amount of trade), Malcolm Allen asked about food inspections (Ambrose: We’ve invested and have the best record in the OECD), Laurin Liu asked about cheese producers (Ritz: We are listening to industry), and Nathan Cullen asked about TFSAs benefitting the wealthy (Sorensen: 11 million Canadians have a TFSA, the majority to low or middle income families). Judy Sgro asked on the same topic (Sorensen: You want to raise taxes), and Adam Vaughan asked a pair of questions about major cities not getting infrastructure funds (Lebel: Biggest programme ever! Gas tax!). Carol Hughes and Hoang Mai asked about a train derailment (Raitt: We moved faster than anyone else to remove the most dangerous tank cars), and Mylène Freeman asked about the roundtable on missing and murdered Aboriginal women (Leitch: Our focus is on supporting, prevention, and protecting these women).

Round three saw questions on the coming court challenge to the new elections laws, foreign dignitaries at a Liberal Party event, the pension snags with plans to hire veterans in the public service, a former soldier’s medical access issues, painting a Quebec bridge, Mohamed Fahmy, cuts to bilingualism at CSIS, the Energy East documents in both official languages, and problems with judicial authorisation for CSIS.

Overall, it was a better day but still fairly scattershot. There remained no good exchanges and no memorable moments, other than the fact that the Speaker didn’t rule out questions about the Liberals, as it had zero to do with the government’s responsibilities. That both the NDP and Conservatives wanted to embarrass the Liberals on an issue that had nothing to do with government business was utterly ridiculous.

Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to Candice Bergen for a nicely cut grey patterned jacket, and to James Bezan for a black suit with a light lavender shirt and a dark purple tie and pocket square. Style citations go out to Jonathan Genest-Jourdain for a brown and grey windowpane suit that looks fairly chesterfield-esque with a white shirt and navy blue tie, and to Kelly Block for a high-necked wavy brown-and-coffee coloured top.