QP: Infrastructure Bank blues

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It was a grey day in the Nation’s Capital, and outside of the Centre Block, the lawn was littered with Catholic high school students bussed up to the Hill for the March for Life, with a couple of Conservative leadership candidates in the mix. Rona Ambrose led off, concerned about potential waste and duplication created by the Infrastructure Bank, and cited a KPMG report that the government commissioned (highlighted by a Globe and Mail story, of course). Amarjeet Sohi defended the Bank as delivering funds after a decade of inconsistent investment by the previous government. Ambrose suggested that the Bank was simply giving money to billionaires, but Sohi insisted that they were delivering for communities. Ambrose tried a third time, but Sohi listed possible projects the Bank could fund. Alain Rayes picked up the line of questioning in French, considering it “Sponsorship Scandal 2.0.” Sohi carried on with his points about what it could fund. Rayes railed about redacted documents around consultations conducted about the Bank, but Sohi insisted that the documents given to investors were all online. Matthew Dubé and Rachel Blaney worried about tolls associated with projects funded by the Bank in both official languages (Sohi: Your party has no plan for infrastructure), and then both turned to the KPMG report (Sohi: Here are some Canadian funds who want to invest in infrastructure).

Round two, and Pierre Poilievre carried on with the Infrastructure Bank questions (Sohi: We are leveraging private sector dollars), and the Bombardier loan (Lametti: We are concerned with the long term health of the aerospace sector), and Alex Nuttall, Marilyn Gladu, Gérard Deltell worried about Broadway tickets and Snapchat filters (Brison: Canada is back; Duclos: We have the new Canada Child Benefit; Petitpas Taylor: Our plan is working). Brigitte Sansoucy raised the ongoing Phoenix pay fiasco (MacKinnon: We are working on it), and Scott Duvall worried about the pensions bill C-27 only enriching the private sector (Petitpas Taylor: We are offering choice). Sylvie Boucher and John Nater railed about the appointment of a new Official Languages Commissioner (Virani: We have a new process and there will be an announcement in due course), David Sweet and asked after the Bahá’í leaders imprisoned in Iran (DeCourcey: The best way to advance consular issues is to directly engage with the regime). Alistair MacGregor asked about international treaties around marijuana (DeCourcey: We are examining a range of issues including our international obligations), and Pierre Nantel asked about environmental indemnities levied against Volkswagen in the States (McKenna: There is an investigation currently underway).

Round three saw questions on Russian money-laundering in Canada, Broadway tickets going to a Venezuelan official in New York, unregulated rail crossings, Franklin Expedition artefact ownership, grain shipping rights, deferred tax credits for farmers, the long delays by the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women inquiry, seniors care, cleaning up abandoned vessels, the Lac Mégantic rail by-pass, the planned national securities commission, and the location of the headquarters for the Infrastructure Bank.

Overall, the first half of the day was quite focused on what seems to be a genuine issue, which is fine, and the NDP were able to find their own angle on it, which is also fine, but one the one hand there’s focused and then there’s repetitive, when you’re just asking the same thing with the same preambles and not advancing the line of questioning or really digging into the replies that are given, given that they’re obvious talking points. Of course, this is the state of scripted theatre that we have unfortunately come to expect in this place, and one of the many things we need to fix to get it back on track. Meanwhile, the Liberals are now resorting to non sequitur good news talking points to respond to cheap outrage questions. I’m not sure what’s worse. Knock it off, all of you.

Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to Michelle Rempel for a long-sleeved navy dress with a subtle square pattern, and to Greg Fergus for a tailored black suit with a crisp white shirt and a black bow tie with white spots. Style citations go out to David Yrdiga for a black suit with a creamsicle orange shirt and black tie, and to Diane Lebouthillier for a white collared shirt with blue and red stripes and a black vest.

One thought on “QP: Infrastructure Bank blues”

  1. “the lawn was littered with Catholic high school students bussed up to the Hill for the March for Life”

    Dale,
    It happens that these protesters probably have a different view on the issue than you and I do but is it really helpful to diss them as mere objects that “litter” the lawn?

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