QP: Pipeline laments

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Thursday in the Commons, and Justin Trudeau was present, but Rona Ambrose wasn’t. That left it up to Opposition House Leader Andrew Scheer to lead off, mini-lectern on his desk, and he read a lament for the government adding more red tape to pipeline projects. Trudeau insisted that the only way to get resources to tidewater was to do it in an environmentally sustainable way. Scheer wanted to know if Western Liberal MPs would be free to vote on the Conservatives’ opposition motion, to which Trudeau panned it as a rehash of their failed policies. Scheer took a dig at Trudeau meeting with celebrities instead of unemployed Canadians. Trudeau hit back with a reminder of the need for sustainability. Candice Bergen was up next, asking if downstream emissions would be part of the new environmental assessment process, to which Catherine McKenna confirmed that it would be a consideration. Bergen decried the uncertainty for ongoing assessments, but Jim Carr praised the change in tone from the current government where environment and natural resource development happened together. Thomas Mulcair was up next, lamenting that the TPP would cost jobs but was being signed anyway, but Trudeau assured him that the signature would just be a technical step that would allow further debate. Mulcair switched to French to continue to hammer on the meaning of the signature, to which Trudeau reiterated that signature and ratification were different. Mulcair changed to lamenting reducing taxes for the well-off instead of tackling inequality, to which Trudeau reminded him that they reduced taxes to the middle class and increased them on the one percent. Mulcair asked again, and Trudeau reiterated his answer.

Round two, and Gérard Deltell lamented the decision to repeal two union-busting bills (Mihychuk: I was pleased to repeal these bills), and John Barlow said that the repeal was a reward for illegal in-kind election contributions (LeBlanc: There is a difference between meritorious legislation and a mistake that has been corrected; Mikychuk: These bills need to be repealed), and Peter Kent asked about Holocaust denial by the leader of Iran (Goldsmith-Jones: Engagement doesn’t mean we agree with their policies). Ruth Ellen Brosseau asked about what GHGs would be acceptable with the new pipeline assessments (McKenna: It is important to have a Canada-wide plan for climate change), and Nathan Cullen asked the same in English (McKenna: It would be irresponsible to have a new target without a plan to implement it). Maxime Bernier decried a private forecast of a $50 billion deficit (Morneau: We have a plan, including lowering tax for the middle class), and Phil McColeman insisted that the Conservatives left a surplus (Morneau: The fiscal update we posted in December showed a deficit). Romeo Saganash demanded immediate action on access to education and healthcare for First Nations (Jones: We are in a position to take action, and are committed to investing), and Charlie Angus raised an issue of one young First Nation’s child being denied treatment (Philpott: I will look into this case).

Round three saw questions on communications with the US around refugee screenings, temporary accommodations for Syrian refugees, the sale of AllStream to an American company, mandatory minimum sentences, exit visas for Congolese orphans awaiting adoption, the Burkina Faso attacks, the moratorium on changes to Canada Post, the Senate appointment process, the environmental assessment process for pipelines, and CBC funding.

Overall, it was a fairly quiet day, with the exception of the outbursts of laughter over a Conservative question about Syrian refugees housed in a hotel next to a strip club, and McCallum responded that they look into these kinds of situations. Hilarity ensued, but then Speaker Regan asked them to choose language that wouldn’t cause such outbursts. I begin to fear that he is intent on sucking all life out of the Chamber. Again, bigger fish to fry, like the constant ovations and applause or the unnecessary repetition of questions in both official languages when they’ve already been answered, than for laughter and wit, whether it was intentional or not.

Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to Maxime Bernier for a tailored dark grey three-piece suit with a crisp white shirt and a yellow and blue stripe tie, and to Chrystia Freeland for a short-sleeved black dress. Style citations go out to Celina Ceasar-Chavannes for an otherwise great black top and trousers but paired with a somewhat garish white jacket with a pastel floral pattern, and to Guy Lauzon for a taupe-brown suit with a subtle windowpane pattern and a butterscotch shirt and brown Paisley tie. Special mention goes out to Will Amos for a pink shirt and lavender tie with a black vest and no jacket — it’s unusual and could mean he can’t speak or vote.