QP: Carbon tax woes

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While Rona Ambrose was still away, we had both the PM and NDP “interim” leader Thomas Mulcair present for the day. Denis Lebel led off, decrying federal interference with the provinces with the imposition of their carbon tax. Trudeau insisted that they were working with the provinces to move ahead with tackling emissions. Lebel switched to English to ask again, and got much the same answer, with Trudeau making a few more digs about the previous government not being willing to work with provinces. Lebel went another round in French before Ed Fast took over to ask the same question yet again in English, concern trolling about the three provincial environment ministers who walked out of the meeting with federal ministers. Trudeau largely repeated his points about working with the provinces to create a strong economy and a clean environment. Fast read out condemnation from those ministers, and Trudeau ensured him that their plan would create jobs. Thomas Mulcair was up next, decrying the endorsement of “Stephen Harper’s targets,” and lamented the too-low carbon price. Trudeau replied with his established points about showing leadership in creating jobs and protecting the environment. Mulcair asked again in French, got the same answer, and then moved onto concerns about the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission in the wake of the Environment Commissioner’s report, to which Trudeau said they would follow up on the recommendations. For his final question, Mulcair demanded that the government agree to the NDP motion on a committee on arms sales, but Trudeau did not agree, and pointed to their adopting the small arms treaty.

Round two led off with David Anderson decrying the carbon tax affecting farmers (MacAulay: Our farmers are stewards of sustainability; McKenna: Your government promoted cap-and-Trade and did nothing), Joël Godin decried the carbon tax (McKenna: We are working with the provinces), and Shannon Stubbs insisted that the carbon taxes was only about government coffers (McKenna: That’s not how carbon prices work). Don Davies and Brigitte Sansoucy decried the “cut” to health care transfers — which is not a cut (Philpott: We are working with the provinces). Lisa Raitt continued to sound concerned about the effect of a carbon tax on the vulnerable (McKenna: We need to price carbon; Morneau: Look at all of these ways we’re helping the vulnerable), and John Barlow worried about the jobs crisis in Alberta versus the carbon tax (Duclos: Look at our measures to enrich EI; Mihychuk: We are helping people get jobs). Shiela Malcolmson and Charlie Angus wanted immediate action on missing and murdered Indigenous women (Bennett: We are making changes).

Round three saw questions on “deliverology” spending, emergency relief funding for floods in Windsor, Phoenix pay system, Atlantic representation on the Supreme Court, Yazidi girls, softwood lumber, taxes on camp grounds, climate plans, and Energy East.

Overall, it was a more rambunctious day, and one with a lot of repetitive questions, which is par for the course, but at least it was on a point of actual policy (well, a curious interpretation of said policy, but policy nevertheless) as opposed to pearl-clutching about legitimate expenses. We did get some smarmy rat-packing, because apparently they can’t go without, but at least it was four questions and not twenty. It was also nice to get nearly a full bench of ministers with only a couple of parliamentary secretaries responding, but a few of the ministers are still reading as opposed to answering off-the-cuff. They’re getting back into the habit, slowly, but it could be always be better.

Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to Carla Qualtrough for a grey top with a burgundy leather jacket, and to Justin Trudeau for a sharply tailored three-piece black suit with a navy tie. Style citations go out to Robert Sopuck for his brown corduroy jacket with a brown vest, dark grey shirt and yellow and brown striped tie, and to Cheryl Gallant for an otherwise fine navy dress with a garish shiny black jacket.