QP: Concerns about “Joe”

Posted on by

With Justin Trudeau away and tempers still flaring over proposed changes to the Standing Orders, it was promising to be a QP full of performed outrage. Rona Ambrose led off, lamenting all the new taxes that “Joe” will have to pay thanks to the budget. Bill Morneau insisted that they built the budget around “Joe” and that he would be better off overall. Ambrose then worried what  “Joe” would think of the PM’s snack bill for his trip to the Bahamas (which was not just snacks but fees), to which Bardish Chagger noted that they asked the Clerk of the Privy Council to draft policies on reimbursing the treasury. Ambrose was incredulous, but Chagger retreated to talking points about consultation. Ambrose pivoted to changes to the Standing Orders, and Chagger tried to talk up the ideas she proposed. Ambrose asked again in French, and Chagger repeated her defence. Thomas Mulcair was up next, carrying on denunciations of the proposed changes, and Chagger reiterated her attempt to be “reasonable” on her proposals. After another round in French that got the same reply, Mulcair moved to railing about the scrapping of certain measures in the budget, for which Morneau gave a standard response about the middle class tax cut while raising taxes on the one percent. Mulcair railed about protecting rich CEOs instead of First Nations children, but Morneau meandered through a paean about middle class anxiety.

Round two, and Denis Lebel, Gérard Deltell and Dan Albas offered dismay about the deficit (Morneau: Growth was too sluggish so we needed to make investments), while Mark Strahl railed that the budget was punishing the oil and gas sector (Carr: We approved three pipelines) and James Bezan worried that the budget disrespected the Canadian Forces (Sajjan: We reprofiled money to make sure that it’s there when they need it). Nathan Cullen railed about cuts to climate funding (McKenna: You will see the numbers are there to put measures in place), and Alexandre Boulerice railed about cutting transit tax credits (Miller: We are investing in transit). Luc Berthold and Candice Bergen returned to the Standing Order proposals (Chagger: We want to modernize is place). Murray Rankin and David Christopherson carried on the outrage about those proposed changes (Chagger: Modernization!)

Round three saw questions on the Standing Orders, PMO interference in by-elections, programmes for seniors in the budget, the budget being inadequate for women, Canada 150 projects, illegal border crossings, supply management, autism funding, labour agreements with Quebec.

Overall, it was far less raucous than yesterday, thankfully, but no less sanctimonious in the denunciations of the proposed changes to the Standing Orders. Meanwhile, apparently irony died given the all of the concern trolling for the freedoms of Liberal backbenchers by the Conservatives, given all of the various and sundry abuses that went on during the Harper years, or how the government was trying to control committees inappropriately (never mind how the Conservatives essentially turned committees into branch plants of ministers’ offices).

Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to Irene Mathyssen for a black top and slacks with a deep blue long jacket, and Francis Drouin for a dark grey suit with a light purple shirt and dark purple tie. Style citations go out to Scott Reid for a black velvet jacket, brown waistcoat and purple striped shirt with a purple bow tie, and to Sylvie Boucher for a long forest green top with grey and black beaded patterned panels down the front and back with black lace panels down the sleeves and black tights.

One thought on “QP: Concerns about “Joe””

  1. So it’s Joe LunchPail is it, strange I thought it would be Joan since it is all about women these days. Stereotyping and how politicians fall back into it. This budget does not help women despite Trudeau’s claims, which only goes to show he is a politician not to be trusted. Also nothing for Seniors, the over 55+ are the majority but we still get the BS about the middle-class. Given that neither Morneau nor Trudeau are middle-class one has to wonder why the fascination.

Comments are closed.