QP: Still going while eyes on DC

Posted on by

While Trudeau and several ministers were in Washington, things were still happening in Ottawa. Plenty of things. Rona Ambrose led off QP, asking that the government not approve any environmental measures that the Americans won’t implement themselves. Jim Carr noted that they were restoring credibility to the process. Ambrose then worried about the deficit spending which some economists claimed would have no benefit. Bill Morneau responded that they were making investments in long-term productivity at a time when borrowing is cheap. Ambrose switched to French to ask about the size of the deficit, to which Morneau trotted out his lines about growing the economy. Denis Lebel picked up, repeating the question about the lack of stimulus from the deficit, and he got the same response that Ambrose did. For his final question, Lebel asked the bog standard question of which taxes the government would raise to pay off said deficit, but Morneau stuck to his line of growth for the future. Leading off for the NDP was Peter Julian, demanded action on softwood lumber. David Lemetti stated that Trudeau and Obama signalled that they were interested in having an agreement. Julian railed about Canadian jobs, to which Lemetti finished his previous answer a commitment to report back in 100 days. Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet asked a pair of questions about the levels of Indigenous people in prisons, to which Michel Picard promised work to improve the situation.

Round two, and Bob McColeman asked about the deficits (Morneau: Investments in the future), Gérard Deltell insisted the Conservatives left a surplus (Morneau: Only you believe you left a surplus), and Kelly Block demanded the plan to help Bombardier (Fergus: We are still studying the business case). Brigitte Sansoucy and Nathan Cullen demanded GHG targets (Wilkinson: We are getting it done with this new methane agreement). Cathy McLeod and Mark Strahl once again demanded that private property be protected from Aboriginal title (Casey: This is before the courts, he we are pursuing a nation-to-nation relationship; We won’t litigate this matter in this Chamber). Irene Mathyssen read some outrage about the KPMG tax shelters (Lebouthillier: The CRA is doing its job, this is an active file that is not closed), and Pierre-Luc Dussault asked the same question in French (Lebouthillier: Same answer).

Round three saw questions on time-served sentencing credit, caregiver and economic immigration levels, the Senate recommendation board costs, milk imports, the energy sector, electoral reform, Air Canada’s legal obligations, and international taxation amnesty.

Overall, it was a pretty standard day, but I’m going to take the opportunity to remind MPs to stop asking questions that are insulting to the intelligence of the nation. We’re all quite certain that the PM is not selling out the country to anti-Canadian interests in the States. That kind of tinfoil hattery is not only boneheaded, it makes you look like a fool for even asking it. You can ask pointed, intelligent questions without resorting to this kind of buffoonery. Step it up, MPs.

Sartorially speaking, everyone was wearing yellow scarves to mark rare disease awareness, but all of that yellow with black suits was triggering my sensibilities, as yellow and black is a very bad thing. Chances are that if someone told you that it looked good, they were a leopard. Snaps go out to Judy Foote for a grey tartan patterned jacket and skirt, and to Matt Jeneroux for a navy suit with a crisp white shirt and a red and blue diamond patterned tie. Style citations — beyond the sea of yellow and black — go out to Adam Vaughan for a dull brown jacket with a grey shirt and black tie, and to Rona Ambrose for a black tunic dress with white parachute sleeves, whose cut resembled a flying squirrel.