QP: CPP consultations and fictitious allegations

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Even though the king and queen of the Netherlands were visiting, all of the leaders actually showed up for QP for a change. Thomas Mulcair led off, asking for the declaration of Mike Duffy’s residence. Stephen Harper responded that Duffy’s actions were before the courts. Mulcair threatened that if Harper didn’t answer now, he would at the debates, and then demanded that the full Duffy audit be released. Mulcair gave some vaguely coherent muttering about the PMO covering up the cover-up in the Senate, to which Harper reminded them that the NDP faces their own repayment problem for their satellite offices. Mulcair moved onto the retirement age, demanding it be lowered to 65 (not that it actually changed — just OAS), to which Harper listed off their other measures for seniors. Mulcair closed with a quote from Jim Flaherty regarding CPP, to which Harper insisted the NDP would raise taxes on seniors. Justin Trudeau was up for the Liberals, and wondered why the government made their CPP announcement with no consultation by the provinces. Harper said that their record of supporting voluntary options was clear, while the Liberals would raise taxes. Trudeau reminded Harper of his record of statements on breaking up the CPP. Harper said that was false, and touted the options they created to help Canadians save. When Trudeau insisted that experts agreed with them, Harper said that Trudeau’s experts were imaginary, and that Trudeau would show leadership in raising taxes.

Round two, and Petty Nash and Isabelle Morin decried raising the age of retirement (Sorenson: We are lowering taxes), Andrew Cash and Lysane Blanchette-Lamothe decried cuts to settlement services (Alexander: You voted against measures to help immigrants), Rosane Doré Lefebvre and Randall Garrison asked about C-51 violating human rights agreements (Blaney: We were victims of a terror attack), Denis Bevington asked about problems with Nutrition North (Valcourt: We are examining eligibility critieria), Romeo Saganash asked about the lack of progress with a First Nations housing programme (Bergen: We think it’s important that they can own their own home on reserve). Carolyn Bennett asked about the same issue (Bergen: same answer), and John McCallum noted the lack of provincial input into increasing CPP (Sorenson: You want to hike payroll taxes). Irene Mathyssen and Anne Quach denounced the changes at Canada Post (Watson: Canada Post is delivering less mail than before), and Mathieu Ravignat and Nathan Cullen asked about the collective agreements around sick leave (Clement: The system is outdated and doesn’t meet the needs of employees).

Round three saw questions on clean technology market share, fish processing requirements for Newfoundland and Labrador under CETA, what the new emissions targets are under megatonnes, consultations with the oil and gas sector over emissions, the lack of oversight over an airbag recall, the lobster fishery, the Quebec City bridge, the location of the Victims of Communism memorial, and costs to challenging processing requirements under CETA.

Overall, I remain mystified why Duffy questions remain at the top when they won’t get an answer, and when there are so many other, more pressing issues. Add to that, the NDP have taken to conflating the issue of raising the age of eligibility for OAS — one small income supplement programme — with the retirement age as a whole, which is simply false and fear-mongering. It’s hard to hold the government to account like you’re supposed to when you’re accusing them of something completely fictitious.

Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to Ryan Cleary for a tailore black suit with a crisp white shirt and pink tie, and to Megan Leslie for a well tailored short-sleeved black dress. Style citations go out to Leona Aglukkaq for a honey mustard jacket with a black dress, and to Larry Miller for a navy suit with a purple shirt and silver tie. Special mention goes out to Joan Cockatt for a grey pant suit with an untucked white shirt and loose black tie.