QP: The other conspicuous silence

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For the final QP of the spring sitting (barring unforeseen circumstances), all leaders were present, and plenty of MPs kicked off with statements of thanks to spouses and supporters. Andrew Scheer led off, mini-lectern on desk, reading congratulations for his new MP, before reading some aged talking points about the India trip. Justin Trudeau first congratulated the new MP, and thanked the pages and the Commons staff, but didn’t respond to Scheer’s question. Scheer read the laundry list of the prime minister’s supposed sins, worried about his reckless spending. Trudeau responded with a reminder about the investments they have made in the middle class. Scheer breathlessly read the costs of upgrades to the PM’s residence at Harrington Lake, and Trudeau stuck to his talking points about investing in the middle class, avoiding Scheer’s bait. Scheer tried again, and this time Trudeau took up a script to talk about the NCC’s responsibilities in maintaining official residences. Scheer tried yet again, and Trudeau sanctimoniously talking about all of the problems facing the country and the world, while that was what Scheer was focused on. Guy Caron was up next for the NDP, and demanded to know if the US was still considered a safe country for asylum seekers. Trudeau took up a script to respond that Canadians are concerned, and they were looking for ways to modernize the Safe Third Country Agreement, and they were monitoring the situation. Caron demanded that Trudeau denounce what was going on, to which Trudeau reiterated that the situation was unacceptable and they were monitoring it. Jenny Kwan took over in English, louder and angrier, and Trudeau took his script back up to repeat that what’s happening is wrong, and that he would stand up for those seeking refuge. Kwan tried one last time, and got the same answer.

https://twitter.com/cfhorgan/status/1009505095225151488

Round two, and Alain Rayes, Lisa Raitt, and Candice Bergen railed about the expenses from the India trip (Trudeau: It’s important to be effective on the world stage and we announced $1 billion in investments, and it cost a lot less than Harper’s India trip). Alexandre Boulerice railed about the possibility of protesters getting killed in BC (Trudeau: Canadians have a right to protest), and Nathan Cullen sanctimoniously wondered where the progressive prime minister went (Trudeau: We have made record investments in clean energy and listen to all Indigenous Canadians). Colin Carrie worried about auto jobs (Trudeau: We will be there for these workers), Matt Jeneroux worried about the super cluster investments as corporate welfare (Trudeau: We also have a protein super cluster on the prairies), and John Barlow and Luc Berthold worried that farmers will be devastated by carbon taxes (Trudeau: We have a transparent climate plan and you don’t, and you’re inventing numbers to distract Canadians). Georgina Jolibois and Niki Ashton demanded that National Indigenous Peoples Day be made a statutory holiday (Trudeau: Decisions need to be made in consultation with Indigenous peoples).

Round three saw questions on cannabis home growth (Trudeau: We are committed to improving the system and taking money away from organised crime), ISIS returnees versus Yazidi victims (Trudeau, with script: We have been resettling refugees and are accelerating family reunification for those families; We trust the police and security forces to do their jobs, which isn’t the job of elected officials), the UN convention on the rights of persons with disabilities (Trudeau, with script: We support a variety of programmes and services, and our bill is tabled this afternoon but I won’t break confidence to say what’s in it), Lyme disease (Trudeau: This is an important issue and thanks for bringing it up), Iranian relations (Trudeau, with script: We oppose Iran’s actions and we will hold them to account for their actions), Christians targeted by ISIS (Trudeau, with script: We continue to support victims from all cultures and religions), closing the Vegreville immigration office (Trudeau: We need to invest in the system, which is why we’re investing in capacity), land-based aquaculture (Trudeau: We will make evidence-based policy, and you should talk to your provincial counterparts), removing the Queen from the oath of citizenship (Trudeau: We are not considering that), carbon pricing counting against equalisation (Trudeau: There is no false choice between energy and the environment).

Overall, it was a very strange day, in which the Conservatives failed to read the public mood and stuck to cheap outrage over the upgrades at the Prime Minister’s Harrington Lake residence, and the costs associated with the India Trip. While I understand that it is tough for the Conservatives to try and raise any particular concerns about issue of child separation of migrants in the US, the fact that he conspicuously avoided the subject entirely was odd and a bit unseemly, though Trudeau’s somewhat sanctimonious pointing of this out was also a bit unseemly in his own right. But honestly, hairshirt parsimony is one of the most toxic forces in Canadian political discourse, and we need to call it out for what it is. As for the NDP, they have continued to mischaracterize David Dodge’s comments regarding the potential for deaths among Kinder Morgan protesters, but they get to do so under the parliamentary privilege, meaning that Dodge can’t go after them legally for doing so, which should be pointed out. The rest of QP was entirely scattershot, trying to touch on as many topics as possible, and Trudeau largely responded as blandly as possible, as he usually does, but I will at least note that he called out the Conservatives for making up numbers in their carbon tax questions – something that needs to continually be called out because otherwise it encourages them to continue to lie with impunity.

Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to Raj Grewal for a tailored black three-piece suit with a white shirt with a blue grid pattern and a navy turban and white pocket square, and to Celina Caesar-Chavannes for a long white collared shirt with short sleeves and a red belt over black slacks. Style citations go out to Rachael Harder for a black dress with red florals and puffy short sleeves, and to Bill Blair for a black suit with a light grey shirt with a white collar and a blue tie. Special mention goes out to Stephanie Kusie for a teal western shirt and bedazzled jeans and a belt to promote the upcoming Calgary Stampede.

Given that this was the last QP for the spring sitting, I want to thank everyone for reading these once again, and recaps will resume in September.