QP: In other news…

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It was very nearly a full house for QP, including all of the leaders. Rona Ambrose led off, mini-lectern on neighbouring desk, once again demanding an electoral reform referendum. Trudeau said that he did trust Canadians to discuss complex and nuanced issues, which was why he wanted an open consultative process. Ambrose switched to French to lament the current government’s understanding of the military and his choice in the Super Hornets. Trudeau in turn lamented the sorry state of the Forces left by his predecessors and their botched procurements. Ambrose asked again in English, and got the same answer. Denis Lebel was up next, decrying the lack of progress on a new softwood lumber agreement. Trudeau responded that the previous government neglected the file, focusing fruitlessly on pipelines that went nowhere. Lebel disputed Trudeau’s characterisation, but Trudeau insisted they immediately sought to restore positive relations with the Americans to better deal with these irritants. Thomas Mulcair was up for the NDP, and listed off the opposition to C-14, and Trudeau called the bill an “important step” but that it struck a balance with the protection of the vulnerable. Mulcair insisted it was as false choice, and accused the government of behaving exactly like their predecessors. Trudeau begged to differ, noting the Conservatives ignored the issue, and he praised the work to date. Mulcair demanded that the government at least take amendments from the Senate, and Trudeau said that he looked forward to what the “newly independent and less partisan” Senate would bring forward. Mulcair accused the bill of going against the Charter, and Trudeau reiterate the balance being struck.

Round two, and James Bezan and Pierre Paul-Hus was concerned that Boeing officials have meet with the government often and wondered why they convinced them on the Super Horners (Sajjan: The CF-18s should have been replaced, and hey, Lockheed officials went with us to Singapore), and Mark Strahl worried about Dominic LeBlanc’s conflicts of interest (LeBlanc: I reached out to the Ethics Commissioner). Alexandre Boulerice and Randall Garrison decried a sole-source contract on the Super Hornets (Sajjan: We are doing our analysis and will make a determination shortly). Scott Reid, Alain Rayes, and Blake Richards returned to the howls for a referendum (Monsef: I am looking forward to the vote after QP). Pierre Luc Dusseault and David Christopherson demanded prosecution for KPMG for tax avoidance (Lebouthillier: The Agency is investigating and auditing to crack down on these schemes).

Round three saw questions on pipeline approvals, refugee resettlement and language training, Air Canada’s official language obligations, office renovations, and temporary foreign agricultural workers.

Overall, it was refreshing to get a new suite of issues brought forward rather than spending the first half of QP baying for a referendum, because it’s not like there aren’t all manner of things to talk about. That Rona Ambrose still led off with the issue was almost a fake-out, keeping it in mind but moving onto other issues before the same usual voices returned to the issue. That there were almost no rat-packing questions was even more refreshing on top of the Liberals carrying on their clapping ban, and opposition clapping getting increasingly muted. All of that said, I think that the Conservatives’ outburst of sanctimony over John McCallum making a self-deprecating joke was over the top, and were I not a student of this place, I would find it hard to believe that they would try to make an issue of it, and yet they did.

Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to Catherine McKenna for a tailored black dress with a white lapel-less jacket, and to birthday boy Rob Oliphant for a tailored navy suit with a light purple shirt and dark purple checked tie. Style citations go out to Wayne Long for a medium blue suit with a white shirt and a peach speckled tie, and to Kirsty Duncan for a white wrap dress with both zebra and floral prints.