QP: More reconciliation scripts

Posted on by

Even though it was a Wednesday, all of the party leaders were off in Rideau Hall for the closing ceremony of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. That left Megan Leslie to lead off, asking about the refusal of the government to implement the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Mark Strahl responded by reading a talking point about those rights already being entrenched in the constitution. Leslie listed off the various ways in which the government was failing Aboriginals, to which Strahl listed their successes, like the apology and striking the TRC in the first place. Leslie demanded the education funding gap for First Nations be closed, and Strahl read a condemnation of the attitudes that gave rise to the residential schools. Peter Julian then picked up, repeating Leslie’s first question in English. Strahl gave a list of accomplishments, and when Julian closed with a blanket condemnation, Strahl repeated his admonishment that the NDP voted against the good things they did. Dominic LeBlanc led off for the Liberals in French, saying that his party immediately accepted all 94 recommendations in the report and wondered if the government would do the same. Strahl said that they would consider the recommendations in light of the full report, to be delivered at the end of the year. Ralph Goodale then picked up in English on the same topic, and got much the same answer from Strahl. For the final question, Marc Garneau called out Conservative contradictions on supply management as part of Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations, and Maxime Bernier  gave a single-word response that they would protect it.

Round two, and Carol Hughes read a pair of questions on missing and murdered Aboriginal women (Truppe: We are taking action and you voted against measures we passed to help), Malcolm Allen and Ruth Ellen Brosseau repeated the concern about Supply Management (Fast: We have protected it thus far), Sadia Groguhé asked about GDP contraction (Oliver: We predict a solid recovery over the course of the year), Pierre Dionne Labelle asked about tax shelters (Findlay: We have zero tolerance for tax evasion), Nathan Cullen gave some kitchen sink economic outrage (Oliver: You would raise taxes disastrously). Mark Eyking asked yet again about Supply Management (Fast: We’ll protect it), and Emmanuel Dubourg and Goodale asked about the revised private sector projections likely blowing a hole in the government’s budget projections (Oliver: Canada must continue with our low-tax plan). Ève Péclet and Charlie Angus demanded answers on Mike Duffy (Calandra: Your satellite offices; you tried to gerrymander your riding), and Randall Garrison and Élaine Michaud demanded answers from minister on restoring the records of members in the armed forces purged for being LGBT (Kenney: They have served openly for over 25 years and do a great job).

Round three saw questions on pay-to-pay legislation, adoptions from Muslim countries, Chrystia Freeland called out Oliver’s answer on GDP growth (Oliver: Canada is not an island), inadequate funding to the RCMP for training and equipment, Tibetans refugees in Nepal with families in Canada, a local airport matter, and Quebec-France relations regarding internships.

Overall, it was another day of sad scripts being read at one another on the Truth and Reconciliation issue rather than some sincere exchanges. To that effect, it bears mentioning that Chrystia Freeland was able to take one of Joe Oliver’s answers and coming back to him in a later round with facts and figures that disputed his answer. That’s all too rare these days, sadly. It used to be the norm, but sadly people can’t do without their scripts — as Ruth Ellen Brosseau once again demonstrated amply today.

Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to James Bezan for a tailored black suit with a crisp white shirt and a dark blue and black striped tie and pocket square, and to Megan Leslie for a short-sleeved black crushed velvet dress. Style citations go out to Diane Finley for a loud pastel floral jacket with an orange dress, and to José Nunez-Melo for a tan jacket, grey slacks, beige shirt and brown paisley tie and pocket square.