With Justin Trudeau and several ministers off to Nunavut for meetings, none of the other leaders (save Elizabeth May) decided to show up either. Denis Lebel led off for the Conservatives, demanding to know the strategy to create jobs while maintaining links with the Americans. Chrystia Freeland noted her trip and said they were building relationships. Lebel decried the deficit going “out of control” and wanted to know if the government would end pension income splitting. François-Philippe Champagne fielded this one, praising tax cuts that the Conservatives voted against. Lebel worried about other boutique tax credits, and Champagne stuck to generalities about working for the middle class. Candice Bergen decried the possibility that dental and health benefits would be taxed because the government voted against their cutely worded opposition motion, and Champagne reminded her that the first thing they did was cut taxes, and then there was another round of the same. Jenny Kwan railed about the safe third country agreement for asylum seekers, to which Ahmed Hussen reminded her that the agreement has no bearing on the current situation. Laverdière asked the same in French, raising those 22 claimants who crossed the border at Manitoba, and got much the same answer. Laverdière then asked about that Muslim family stopped at the border and denied entry into the States, and Ralph Goodale said that the local MP was on the case, and they were waiting for more information. Kwan asked the same again in English, and Goodale was more clear that he would follow up personally when presented with the facts.

Bergen is worried that the government can't be trusted because they voted against a cutely worded opposition motion. #QP

— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) February 9, 2017

Round two, and James Bezan and Pierre Paul-Hus asked about danger pay for troops in Kuwait (Sajjan: I have asked the CDS to review the situation, which was put into place in 2014), and John Brassard asked about a veteran losing her home after being released from the Forces (Hehr: We are seeing more cases which means more people are getting help), and Cathy Wagantall asked about a veteran allegedly being mistreated at the PM’s Saskatoon town hall (Hehr: We aren’t ignoring veterans like you guys did). Karine Trudel asked about home mail delivery (Foote: We are following up on the reports we received), and Nathan Cullen bellyached about electoral reform (Gould: We listened to all Canadians including all points of view, which you have trouble with). Diane Finley griped about the Bombardier loan (Bains: You cut a cheque to them too, and this is about the whole industry ecosystem), and Pierre Poilievre worried about the impact of carbon taxes on the poor (McKenna: I thought you believed in free-market principles). Scott Duvall asked about the effect of Bill C-27 on pensions (Petitpas Taylor: Individuals have a choice but people will not lose benefits), and Irene Mathyssen returned to the issue of the veteran who was evicted (Hehr: We are working to close that gap).

The Speaker then warned her that statements like that only serve to disrupt the Chamber. #QP

— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) February 9, 2017

Round three saw questions on mortgage refinancing rules changes, infrastructure funds, airport privatization, drug-impaired drivers, safe injection sites, human trafficking, translation bureau cuts, user fees, and the Bombardier loan.

Hey economists: apparently user fees are just a tax by another name! #QP

— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) February 9, 2017

Overall, it was a feistier day than it has been in days, and I was happy to note that ministers had their elbows up a little more today and were hitting back and making some digs rather than just blandly sticking to talking point pablum. Whether it was because the PM was away and the mice decided to come out and play, or the fact that they were getting bored of reading safe talking points and decided to loosen up a bit, I do say, much more of this please! What I could do with less of, however, is this manufactured concern that the Conservatives have been pushing regarding the taxation of benefit plans because the government voted down their cutely worded motion that had a poison pill clearly there for the government to see. Please note: this isn’t being clever; it’s being disingenuous. It’s cheap politics and should be beneath the members of this House who are trying to treat voters like idiots. Grow up.

Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to Chrystia Freeland for a black dress with a smartly tailored matching jacket, and to Terry Beech for a navy suit with a lavender shirt and grey bow tie. Style citations go out to Colin Carrie for a dark brown jacket with a pale cranberry shirt and pocket square with a red and grey patterned tie, and to Leona Alleslev for what appeared to be a gold and black lined wrap top under a black jacket.