QP: One last scattershot attempt

Posted on by

It was likely the final Commons Question Period of the 41st Parliament (but it looks like not), and not a moment too soon. Not unsurprisingly, most of the leaders have already fled for the pre-writ campaign trail, with the exception of Elizabeth May, who dutifully remains at her desk until the bitter end. Megan Leslie led off, raising the moral issue of climate change per the Pope’s encyclical, but turned it into an NDP pitch instead of a question. Leona Agulkkaq chose a climate change talking point and recited it dutifully. Leslie then moved to the issue of sexual harassment in the military, to which James Bezan rose to denounce the comments made by the Chief of Defence Staff and to note that the wheels were already in motion for a change of command. Leslie asked for an inquiry into missing and murdered Aboriginal women, to which Kellie Leitch insisted that they were taking action. Niki Ashton picked up, denounced the government and raised a report on the wage gap between First Nations and other Canadians. Bernard Valcourt noted the measures the government has taken to improve the lives of First Nations. Ashton then raised a plethora of social issues faced by First Nations children and asked a rhetorical question about the government discriminating against them. Valcourt insisted that they were taking action to improve their lives. Ralph Goodale led for Liberals, decrying the government’s economic performance to which Kevin Sorenson read some talking points about lowering taxes and the Liberals raising them. Goodale dug in, but Sorenson repeated his usual talking points about how great ever high was. Dominc LeBlanc took the final slot to further the condemnation in the other official language, to which Candice Bergen stood up to defend the government’s record of keeping promises.

Round two, and Françoise Boivin raised the issue of the government spending $7 million to defend 16 unconstitutional bills (MacKay: We win 70 percent of cases and we don’t bring unconstitutional bills forward), Jack Harris and Rosane Doré Lefebvre asked about Corrections hiding from the media with a prison death (James: Bafflegab), Irene Mathyssen gave some outsized fiction about the Senate AG report — and got cautioned by the Speaker for it (Calandra: Your satellite offices), Alexandre Boulerice tried to raise the ClusterDuff issue (Calandra: Satellite offices), and Randall Garrison demanded guidelines be issued for equal treatment of transgendered people at borders and prisons (MacKay: Human Rights legislation already includes it). Judy Foote demanded the Chief of Defence Staff be fired immediately (Bezan: He is already retiring), Carolyn Bennett asked about the First Nations pay gap (Valcourt: We are taking action), and Emmanuel Dubourg raised the fact that 80 percent of calls to CRA are unsatisfactory (Findlay: People should make formal complaints to the ombudsman). Robert Aubin asked about a backlog of EI files (Bergen: The department is meeting service standards), Linda Duncan started off on the same tangent and then veered off onto economic diversification (Bergen: We’re reducing taxes), and Brian Masse and Annick Papillon decried the decline in tourism (Bernier: We support the industry).

Round three saw questions on Francophone immigration, Canada Post home delivery, Russian sanctions, the Pope’s comments on climate change, gang violence in Surrey, the Kitsilano Coast Guard station, and delays for EI and GIS payments.

Overall, it was largely another grab bag of random topics with no narrative coherence about issue of accountability. It was largely incoherent, scattershot, and actual questions were scarce. It was, if nothing, completely symptomatic of the ills of the current parliament that will only continue if people don’t demand that their MPs do better during the next election. Just tuning out of QP won’t make things change. Insist that you will watch, that you will take note when they simply read the scripts that are handed to them, and let them know that you will hold them to account for it. Otherwise, we’ll keep down this dark path.

Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to Ed Fast for a charcoal tailored suit with an grey shirt and a violet tie, and to Michelle Rempel for a black dress with a bronze constellation pattern across it. Style citations go out to habitual hot mess Christine Moore for a yellow and red dress with a chaotic black pattern across it, and to Larry Miller for a black suit with a blueberry purple shirt and a silver tie.