QP: In the shadow of Ste-Foy

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With a somber mood in the Commons in advance of QP, shortly after statements made Trudeau and the other party leaders regarding the shooting in the Quebec City mosque. Rona Ambrose led off, raising the mosque shooting and offering condolences. Trudeau thanked her for her question and leadership, and offered assurances that they were working to address the situation. Ambrose then asked about the timeline on the Yazidi refugees and how the US travel ban might affect them. Trudeau said that the new minister was working hard on the file and they were working hard to meet the deadline with an announcement coming in a few weeks. Ambrose raised the worries about jobs going south with lower taxes and slashed regulations, but Trudeau immediately raised their focus on the middle class. Ambrose then moved to the helicopter ride to the Aga Khan’s island and breaking ethical rules. Trudeau responded simply that they were working with the Ethics Commissioner to resolve the situation. Ambrose then accused Trudeau of worrying about his own affairs instead of Canadians’. Trudeau noted the town halls he held across the country, and that they remained focused on the middle class. Thomas Mulcair was up next, and he too raised the Quebec City mosque shooting, and wondered how those religious institutions would be kept safe. Trudeau assured him that police forces were monitoring the situation, but the best way to protect Canadians was with a united society. Mulcair noted that the mosque had been targeted in the past, and wanted greater dialogue with concerned religious leaders across the country. Trudeau noted how all MPs were engaged with faith leaders in their community, and that they were working to reduce ignorance around the country. Mulcair raised the American “Muslim ban” executive order, and wanted Trudeau to condemn it as an affront to Canadian shared values. Trudeau said that Canadians were an open society and he would stand up for those values. Mulcair wanted permanent support to refuges who are now banned from the United States, and Trudeau said that they are working to see how they can help out more.

Round two, and Denis Lebel went to a sideways question on fundraising (Gould: We will be more open and transparent), and asked about something about forestry (Freeland: We are working on a softwood lumber agreement), Blaine Calkins raised ethics rules (Gould: Yay openness and transparency), and Candice Bergen asked about rules around private aircraft (Chagger: The Aga Khan is a long-standing friend). Hélène Laverdière wanted assurances that complaints were lodged around the US “Muslim Ban” (Freeland: It is my job to look out for our economic interests and to stand up for Canadian values), Jenny Kwan wanted the private refugee sponsorship cap lifted (Hussein: That cap is only on group-of-five sponsorships). Gérard Deltell worried about fiscal projections (Morneau: We are making investments in the future to improve our level of growth), and both he and Pierre Poilievre worried about taxing benefit plans (Morneau: We reduced taxes for the middle class). Matthew Dubé wanted the ministerial directive on the use of information obtained through torture repealed (Goodale: Torture is contrary to everything we hold dear, and those directives are under review), and Guy Caron worried about the people in New Brunswick affected by the ice storm there (Sajjan: We dispatched forces as soon as the request was made).

Round three saw questions on Chinese foreign investments affecting national security, a bail reform bill, the needs of Indigenous youth, the US travel ban affecting Canadian dual-citizens, private sponsorship group caps, Yazidi refugees, millennial jobs, official languages, fundraising, and US protectionism affecting Quebec.

Overall, it was a bit of a strange day, with everyone both chomping at the bit to ask all kinds of questions they have waited for six weeks to ask, but also more somber because of the shooting in Quebec City. As a result, it was pretty scattershot, and there wasn’t any real driving issue. The Conservatives did try to focus a bit more on the ethics file, but it was overwrought as it usually tends to be, and in their attempt to be clever about it, just lost the plot on those questions. Some of those attempts to be clever, like Denis Lebel’s, resulted in questions that were nonsensical and it became confusing just what he was trying to ask (or who should answer it). Meanwhile, Karina Gould got her first taste of QP, and she dutifully stood up to recite some bland talking points that were fairly non-sequitur to the questions being asked, and she is really going to need some practice because it was a fairly poor performance (but she’s new as a minister, so she has room to grow).

Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to Michelle Rempel for a royal blue wrap dress, and to Scott Brison for a dark grey three-piece suit with a crisp white shirt and black tie. Style citations go out to Stéphane Lauzon for a dark grey suit with a bright red shirt and red plaid tie, and to Linda Duncan for a black top with an orange and black striped jacket. Dishonourable mention goes out to Brenda Shanahan for a black turtleneck with a mustard jacket.