QP: Drones and saccharine points

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For a second day in a row, the PM was in town but otherwise occupied, and his seat would have been conspicuously vacant had a backbencher decided not to keep it warm for him (and the camera shot). After a number of statements in remembrance of the École Polytechnique massacre, Rona Ambrose led off, wondering why the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Inquiry is so slow to get started. Scott Brison responded with some fairly bland talking points about the accomplishments they have made toward reconciliation. Ambrose worried that the PM was making life more expensive for people, and Bill Morneau reminded her of the tax cuts they implemented along with the enhanced child care benefits. Ambrose decried plans to tax health and dental benefits, for which Morneau reiterated the lowered taxes, before noting that they were reviewing the tax code with an eye toward tax fairness and simplification. Ambrose switched to French to decry Liberal fundraising, and Bardish Chagger recited some French talking points about fundraising rules and the broader consultation program. Ambrose switched to English to demand to know if the PM has ever used a fundraiser to talk to anyone who was looking for something from the government. Chagger’s answer did not change. Thomas Mulcair accused the government of arranging a meeting with the Chinese premier in exchange for that person holding a fundraiser. Chagger’s answer was the same. Mulcair asked again in French, and Chagger repeated her response in robotic French. Mulcair then moved to the PBO report on funding for First Nations education, and Brison noted that the PBO pointed out that the previous government underfunded K-12 education, and that they were now closing the gap. Mulcair heaped on a number of accusations related to how the government was treating First Nations, and Jim Carr got up to clarify his remarks about protesters from last week.

Round two, and Denis Lebel, Marilyn Gladu, and Blaine Calkins returned to fundraising with Chinese billionaires (Chagger: [talking points drone]; Bains: The Investment Canada Act has an independent review process). Alexandre Boulerice and Nathan Cullen praised the mocking of the MyDemocracy survey (Monsef: I’d like to thank the tens of thousands of Canadians who have participated). Scott Reid and Blake Richards then went up for their turns at the same site (Monsef: We’re proud of Canadian scientists behind it), and Alain Rayes demanded a referendum (Monsef: We will respond to the committee report in due course). Guy Caron worried about airport privatisation (Garneau: We will act in the best interest of travellers), and Rachel Blaney worried about bid rigging on infrastructure (Sohi: We are putting safeguards in place).

Round three saw questions on the possible health and dental benefits tax, the supposed leak of the marijuana report, violence against women, youth job churn, Energy East, Alberta unemployment, aid for Lebanon, Syrian refugees whose federal assistance is ending, carbon taxes versus hydro rates, and consumer protection in the banking sector.

Overall, things started off repetitive with the interminable questions on fundraising and Bardish Chagger giving the Same. Answer. Every. Time. It has become maddening. And then, everyone thought they were a comedian on the MyDemocracy questions, where MPs were getting increasingly rowdy with each question and response. Maryam Monsef had plenty of opportunities to actually defend the MyDemocracy site as looking at outcomes that people are looking for in order to work backward to electoral systems that favour those outcomes, but no. She stuck to the saccharine talking points about engaging Canadians who don’t normally engage with the system, and the mocking laughter was not unearned. She could have hit back and turned the tables on them, and she didn’t. I’m not sure if she’s gunshy after her misfire last week, but seriously, the saccharine talking points are doing her more harm than good.

Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to Michelle Rempel for a black short-sleeved dress with a sheer pattern, and to James Bezan for a dark grey suit with a white shirt and a teal striped tie and pocket square. Style citations go out to Robert Sopuck for his terrible brown corduroy jacket with a taupe knit vest, a dark b lue shirt and black tie, and to Jennifer O’Connell for what appeared to be a dusky rose vest over a black long-sleeved top. Dishonourable mention goes out to the usually stylish Frank Baylis for a black three-piece suit with a lemon yellow shirt and striped tie.