QP: Problems for our grandchildren

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Following yesterday’s budget, all of the leaders were on hand in the Commons to ask about it. It was also caucus day, which meant the benches were nearly full, usually guaranteeing a good day. Thomas Mulair led off, by asking about Joe Oliver’s statement about leaving the worry about future fiscal woes to “the prime minister’s granddaughter,” and then lamented future for his own grandchildren. Harper hit back, insisting that Oliver said it because it was a ridiculous supposition that the TFSA would create a problem. Mulcair worried about the environmental debt being left to their grandchildren, to which Harper claimed that his was the only government that reduced emissions (err, except the provinces made the reductions). Mulcair changed topics, and asked why Harper would have appointed Mike Duffy to the Senate if he didn’t live in PEI. Harper said it was established practice, and wouldn’t comment on the case befor the courts. Mulcair read out the eligibility requirements in the constitution, and got the same answer from Harper. Mulcair read out the inscription on that photo saying that Duffy was his best appointment, to which Harper demanded the NDP pay back their satellite office expenses. Justin Trudeau was up next, and asked again about paying for TFSAs with the next generation of taxpayers. Harper repeated his assertion that lowering taxes was good for everyone, then repeated a distortion about Trudeau’s comments about small business tax cuts. Trudeau insisted that Harper was paying for the OAS age increase with his cuts, to which Harper insisted forcefully that he hadn’t cut a penny from seniors. Trudeau repeated the question in French, and Harper insisted that the Liberals were the only ones who wanted to raise taxes on the middle class.

Round two, and Alexandre Boulerice and Charlie Angus returned to the issue of Duffy’s residence (Calandra: Pay back your satellite offices), Jinny Sims lamented the budget (Sorenson: You want to raise taxes), Matthew Kellway and Hoang Mai lamented the delay of public transit funds in the budget (Sorenson: Low taxes!; Bernier: Cutting taxes creates wealth), Niki Ashton and Romeo Saganash lamented the lack of funding for a First Nations in the budget (Valcourt: The Economic Action Plan™ will help everyone including First Nations), Megan Leslie lamented the lack of environmental action in the budget (Aglukkaq: Look at all of these plans!), and Nathan Cullen gave some kitchen sink outrage (Sorenson: You want to raise taxes). Emmanuel Dubourg returned to the OAS/TFSA question (Bernier: We are cutting taxes), Chrystia Freeland noted the lower multiplier effect of tax cuts instead of infrastructure spending (Sorenson: You want to raise taxes), and Scott Brison worried about the fiscal sustainability of TFSA increase (Sorenson: You would reverse tax cuts). Mylène Freeman asked about the lack of equality for women in the budget (Leitch: We are making sure women have jobs), Mike Sullivan and Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet wanted housing funds (Bergen: We have funds to co-op housing groups), and Ruth Ellen Brosseau asked about agricultural changes in the budget (Bernier: Everyone benefits from the budget because we are lowering taxes).

Round three saw questions on changes to intern protects in the budget, funds for Marine Atlantic, the lack of environmental action, deferred infrastructure spending, veterans service offices, a sunken freighter on the East Coast leaking oil, provincial transfers, climate change plans, and public transit spending.

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Overall, it was a very odd day. While there was a lot of passion on display, but the fact that the NDP used most of their front-end questions on Mike Duffy and not the budget was a strange calculation. That left Justin Trudeau to steal much of the thunder in terms of more substantive budget questions. Maybe it’s just me, but I’m really not sure how much of an issue Mike Duffy is going to be come election time. Don’t get me wrong — it was great to see that questions were left to actual areas of government administration or Responsible Government, namely, his appointment. It just seems like there were more pressing issues at hand. Also, it was no surprise that the government was in full talking point mode, but it was perhaps a little more blatant than usual today.

Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to Justin Trudeau for a slimly tailored black suit with a crisp white shirt and navy tie, and to Ruth Ellen Brosseau for a black dress with a dark grey jacket. Style citations go out to Megan Leslie for a bright yellow ruffled top with a grey jacket and black skirt, and to Mike Sullivan for a dark grey windowpane suit with a pink shirt and burgundy tie.