QP: Demands for free votes on Energy East

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Monday, and old habits are starting to rear their heads — neither Trudeau nor Mulcair were present, Trudeau in meetings, and Mulcair in La Loche, Saskatchewan. Rona Ambrose led off, mini-lectern on desk, and read a question about jobs in the resource sector, demanding support for their opposition day motion on Energy East. Jim Carr noted that they needed to establish a credible process if they wanted to get resources to market. Ambrose decried Trudeau killing off Northern Gateway with the tanker ban on the west coast, to which Carr reminded her of the lack of trust in the regulatory process under the previous government. Ambrose tried again to get support for the motion, but got another reply about the environmental assessment process. Maxime Bernier was up next, decrying deficits, to which Bill Morneau reminded him that the debt-to-GDP ratio was still going down. Bernier cried that only businessmen create investment, not governments, and then demanded confirmation that the Conservatives left a budget surplus. Morneau insisted that the fiscal update released at the end of last year showing a deficit was accurate. Leading off for the NDP was Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet, who raised one of the interviews from last night’s CBC special, and demanded help for the manufacturing sector. Navdeep Bains rose up, and said that an innovation agenda for the sector was on the way. Boutin-Sweet demanded a plan yesterday, to which Bains insisted that they have it. Irene Mathyssen took over to read the same again in English, and got the same answer.

Round two, and Candice Bergen resumed the concern for free votes about the Energy East motion (Carr: We are united in our concern for a credible process), ? Stubbs wanted support for the oil sector (Carr: Twenty percent of the economy is dependent on natural resources, and we intend to move them to market sustainably), Ed Fast demanded a costing of the climate change plan (McKenna: We are meeting with our provincial partners), and decried a $3 billion plan for assisting developing countries as a “pet project” (Gould: This is good for developing countries). Tracey Ramsay and Ruth Ellen Brosseau worried about signing the TPP (Lametti: This is part of the consultation process; MacAulay: We support supply management). Gérard Deltell worried about those illegal union donations (Mihychuk: C-4 will restore labour relations to a fair balance), and John Barlow asked again in English (LeBlanc: When the illegal payment was discovered, it was repaid; Mihychuk: This was an election promise.) Erin Weir and Niki Ashton asked about EI assistance for resource workers (Mihychuk: We are in the process of making changes).

Round three saw questions on the ISIS mission, CBC funding, the Senate appointment process, the office of religious freedom, a Palestinian relief organization’s funding, public affairs programming in Quebec affected by tax credits, supply management, and political dissidents in Syria needing relocation.

Overall, the day was relatively good, but the Speaker’s schoolmaster tone is starting to reach particularly heavy-handed heights. While it was great that he shut down one of Scott Reid’s bizarre questions on past provincial electoral reform referenda – and I do hope he’s a little more firm in ruling questions that aren’t government business out of order, unlike his predecessor – his admonition immediately after that the Commons was starting to sound like a 1950s old boys’ club was a bit much. While it could be argued by some that the increased level of din was simply because Monsef is a woman, that ignores the context that the opposition wasn’t keen on the response that she gave. I’m not sure why that isn’t considered legitimate, or how it’s sexist or trying to “drown her out,” when none of what I heard was gendered or crude – simply that they didn’t like her response. While I am not denying that legitimately sexist heckling does happen and should be shut down, I’m not convinced that this qualified, and I Regan’s constant admonishing tone is starting to grate.

Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to James Bezan for a charcoal suit with a crisp white shirt and a pinkish tie and pocket square, and to Patty Hajdu for a stylishly cut black and grey jacket with a black top and trousers. Style citations go out to Salma Zahid for a dusky rose please top and scarf with a navy jacket, and to Hunter Tootoo for an unfortunate grape shirt with a dark grey jacket and sealskin tie. Dishonourable mention goes out to Rachael Harder for a black jacket with a yellow top and black-and-white skirt.