QP: Having trouble with the concept of a charitable foundation

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While the PM headed off to Africa for the Francophonie summit, the other major leaders were present, ready to go. Rona Ambrose led off, mini-lectern on desk, railing about the menace of Chinese billionaires, apparently selling out the country for Liberal party donations. Dominic LeBlanc reminded her that only Canadian citizens can donate to political parties, and there was full disclosure. Ambrose insisted there was a conflict of interest with government business being discussed there, and LeBlanc deflected, noting the broad consultations that the government engages in all the time. Ambrose raised the case of a judge striking down a mandatory minimum sentence on a child sexual offence, and railed about the PM defending the judge. Jody Wilson-Raybould noted that they take child sexual offences seriously and that they are looking at criminal justice reform with an eye for maximum discretion for judges. Ambrose asked in French, and got the same response. Ambrose then moved onto the issue of Yazidi refugees and the inadequate number being targeted for relocation, and John McCallum stated that the number quoted was not the one that they were working with. Thomas Mulcair was up next, railing about cash-for-access and insinuating that the country was being sold out to these donors. LeBlanc reminded him that the Chief Electoral Officer praised the fundraising rules. Mulcair switched to French to note the donation by that Chinese billionaire to the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation as a conflict of interest. LeBlanc noted that the foundation was an independent charitable organization that former MPs Chuck Strahl and Megan Leslie sat on the board of. Mulcair moved to the topic of Kinder Morgan and its pending approval, to which Jim Carr reminded him of the added consultation process they applied to it. Mulcair thundered about the same approach being taken by the Conservatives, and Catherine McKenna asserted that the process was led by science and fact.

Round two, and Denis Lebel, Blaine Calkins, and Candice Bergen raised the Trudeau Foundation donation (Lamoureux: You seem confused about how charitable donations work; LeBlanc: You’re on a fishing expedition and what about Peter Penashue?) Guy Caron and Rachel Blaney railed about privatized infrastructure (Sohi: Only eight percent of our infrastructure programme will be delivered through the Bank). James Bezan and Pierre Paul-Hus railed that Super Hornets were not good for Canadian jobs (Foote: We are still entering into an open process; Sajjan: The previous government risk-managed the capability gap, and we’re not taking that risk; Bains: We are using the industrial benefits to maximize Canadian interests). Scott Duvall raised concerns about the CPP bill’s apparent flaw (Morneau: We will continue to advocate for provisions to help women), and Shiela Malcolmson raised the statement from Sandra Jensen in the Alberta Legislature on misogyny faced by women politicians (Hajdu: We are working on a comprehensive plan).

Round three saw questions on victims rights, the Infrastructure Bank, the Quebec City Bridge, the Port of Churchill, energy project approvals, First Nations communities as equity partners in Northern Gateway, the new coal regulations, a local airfield project, and the closure of the Vegreville immigration office.

Overall, it was again a rowdy day, but oh so tiresome, as the questions on the latest fundraising “scandal” got increasingly hyperbolic, hysterical, and culminated in Candice Bergen’s stunt with tearing up that paper, for which she got a warning from the Speaker given that you’re not allowed to use props. Still, the accusations were contrary to the facts — that it was the Chinese billionaires making the donations to the party or to the Trudeau Foundation, which they did not, nor does the PM have any connection to said Foundation, but it was good enough to make insinuations. The constant repetition of these questions, each more overwrought than the last, got really tiresome very quickly, and the first half of QP was pretty much not worth paying much attention to.

Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to Michel Picard for a dark grey three-pieced suit with a light blue shirt and navy tie, and to Joyce Murray for a white sweater with a dark grey jacket. Style citations go out to Sylvie Boucher for a beige long-sleeved top with white, black and melon pink splashes and black tights, and to Stéphane Lauzon for a light grey suit with a dark blue shirt and an orange and silver tie.

One thought on “QP: Having trouble with the concept of a charitable foundation”

  1. Unfortunately the CBC was going on about conflict of interest in every news bulletin. CBC has bought the line of the Opposition. Ask Anne Thibodeau she is sure Trudeau is pocketing Chinese money.

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