QP: Back in the saddle

Posted on by

Everyone’s back, and raring to go, and how I’ve missed them all! Well, okay, not everyone’s back — the PM and several of his ministers are off at the UN General Assembly (where Canada’s Back™), but these things happen.

Rona Ambrose led off, mini-lectern on desk, decrying tax increases along with a potential carbon tax and CPP increases. Bill Morneau stood up to lament the challenges facing Canadians, and noted the reduction in middle-class taxes and the Canadian Child Benefit. Ambrose gave the doom statistics, and Morneau reminded her that investments and not austerity were geared toward future growth. Ambrose changed tactics and sounded the alarm about a peacekeeping mission in sun-Saharan Africa. Harjit Sajjan reminded her that it was dangerous, and that was why he was doing the necessary homework beforehand. Ambrose worried that troops were being used as pawns on a political chessboard in a bid for a UN seat. Sajjan reminded her that it was not just about troops, but a whole-of-government approach to peace operations and stability. Ambrose switched to French to demand a debate and vote on a deployment. Sajjan said they welcomed a healthy debate, but did not commit to a vote (as is proper). Thomas Mulcair was up next, decrying the “cuts” (read: changed escalator) to health transfers. Jane Philpott said she was talking with the provinces, but didn’t commit to restoring the old escalator. Mulcair asked again in English, got the same answer, and then Mulcair demanded that the government vote in favour of nuclear disarmament at the UN this week. Sajjan said that the best way was a pragmatic step-by-step approach. Mulcair demanded GHG reduction targets, and Catherine McKenna said that they were being transparent in their approach.

Round two, and Denis Lebel reiterated Ambrose’s deficit question (Morneau: We are investing), and about the lack of a softwood lumber agreement (Lametti: We are engaged and are looking for a good deal, not any deal), Mark Strahl and Candice Bergen worried about a federal carbon tax (McKenna: We need a price on carbon to innovate and grow the economy). Romeo Saganash demanded equal funding for First Nations children (Bennett: We are restructuring the system), Charlie Angus demanded the government stop fighting emergency orthodontics benefits to First Nations children (Philpott: We have a benefits program and are working to improve it). Jason Kenney returned to laments about a federal carbon tax (McKenna: Most provinces already have a price on carbon, and you’re supposed to believe in free market economics), and David Anderson whined about PMO officials tweeting at Brad Wall (McKenna: All premiers stepped up with the PM in Vancouver). Hélène Laverdière asked about reports that Canadians knew about torture (Goodale: We are instituting the parliamentary oversight committee), and about the Streit Group arms exports to places like Libya (Goldsmith-Jones: We are looking into this).

Round three saw questions on a peacekeeping mission debate and vote, emission reductions targets, demands for an electoral reform referendum, the possible loss of an Atlantic Supreme Court justice (Wilson-Raybould: At least two on the short list will come from Atlantic Canada), the resignation of the Chief Statistician, why no vote on a peacekeeping mission, eliminating health user-fees, and Trudeau’s visit to a gender-segregated mosque (Hajdu: Here’s how feminism works).

Overall, it was a decent day in terms of decorum, questions and responses, but the trap of repetition was already in full force. The number of question on a fiction carbon tax was a bit tiresome considering that it’s both not a real thing (a national price on carbon depends on the provinces setting a price, not an additional federal tax), and there are far better ways to ask about such a national price without caricaturing it as a “job-killing carbon tax,” particularly when presented as an additional tax on top of BC’s current one. I was somewhat disappointed that Harjit Sajjan didn’t respond to the demands for a vote on a peacekeeping mission with a civics lesson on Crown prerogatives (but I may be hoping for too much there). Meanwhile, Mulcair’s broadly telegraphed attempt to brand the Liberals as the same as the Conservatives was ham-fisted and blustery, as opposed to making any credible connections.

Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to Amarjeet Sohi for a tailored black suit with a pink shirt and tie, and to Pam Damoff for a black dress with white side panels that enhanced the silhouette. Style citations go out to MaryAnn Michychuk for a leopard print top with a dusky rose jacket, and to Mel Arnold for a grey suit with a dull green shirt and a grey patterned tie.