QP: Blair’s blunders

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While Justin Trudeau was off at the United Nations General Assembly, and Andrew Scheer busy preparing for a 4 PM press conference, Alain Rayes led off, reading some kind words about the response to the tornado on the weekend, and asked for an update on the situation. Ralph Goodale gave his own statement of thanks and condolence, and said the federal government was assisting where they can. Rayes then turned to Bill Blair’s self-admitted mistaken statement on those asylum claimants that have left the country. Blair admitted to the confusion he created and again apologised. Rayes railed that no plan to resolve the border “crisis” has been issued, and this time Diane Lebouthillier was deployed to accuse the Conservatives of creating fear. Michelle Rempel took over, restated the first question in English, and Blair responded with some chiding about her use of “illegal border crossers.” Rempel reiterated her question, noting that he didn’t answer her which created more confusion, but Blair responded with a lecture on due process. Guy Caron was up next for the NDP, and he hectored the government on the duty to consult Indigenous peoples on projects. Amarjeet Sohi responded with the trite lines about the importance of the relationship and assured him they were properly consulting. Caron insisted that they couldn’t be real consultations if they had already decided to “force” the expansion of Trans Mountain, and Sohi responded that Canadians expected them to get new markets for their resources. Rachel Blaney took over and repeated the questions in English, and she got the same response both times, insisting that they will offer accommodation is possible.

Round two, and Phil McColeman, Richard Martel, and Candice Bergen returned to the question of the convicted murderer getting veterans benefits (O’Regan: We can’t comment on the case and I have asked officials to investigate). Fin Donnelly worried about the effect of diluted bitumen on salmon (Wilkinson: We’ve made enormous investments in spill prevention and response), and Ruth Ellen Brosseau worried that Energy East would be revived (Sohi: We are trying to get new markets). Shannon Stubbs demanded legislation for Trans Mountain (Sohi: We will move forward on this project in the right way), Jamie Schmale demanded a plan to save manufacturing jobs (Bains: Fasted growth rate in the G7!), and Cathy McLeod lamented the First Nations counting on Trans Mountain facing budget cuts (Sohi: We are supporting our communities, and have more jobs than under Harper’s government). Brigitte Sansoucy and Sheri Benson lamented the lack of childcare (Duclos: We have an ambition plan of $5 billion over five years to work with provinces and municipalities).

Round three saw questions on boats facing tariffs (Morneau: We have been trying to take into account those affected by tariffs; Leslie: We have made up to $2 billion available to help those businesses affected; Bains: Part of that $2 billion is specifically going to BDC to help small businesses), industrial plastics in oceans (Fraser: We launched the Oceans Plastics Charter), hearings on a new bitumen mine (Fraser: We are protecting parks and especially Wood Buffalo National Park), the Lake Simcoe clean-up fund (Wilkinson: We created a fund that will include this), Iran’s Revolutionary Guard as a designated terrorist group (Goodale: The assessment process is ongoing, and if you don’t follow the process, you obviate the results), the lack of a hard start-date on building surface combatants (Sajjan: We committee to purchasing these ships and are evaluating bids), Supply Management (MacAulay: We support Supply Management), the stones used in the Citadel (Sajjan: We are taking steps to protect it), and Nunavut asking for certain exemptions to the carbon tax (Fraser: We are with the territorial government as we recognise their unique needs). 

Overall, it was a fairly standard day, without much in the way of drama. I will say that Bill Blair didn’t really acquit himself well today, reading his correction again, and then chiding Rempel on her choice of words and falling into her trap of not answering her substantive question. That’s a problem, and this is a very bad way to start off his new portfolio (particularly given that the portfolio itself is a problem). There were fewer outrage questions from the Conservatives about the murderer getting benefits, but the exasperation of Seamus O’Regan remained the same. Amarjeet Sohi’s responses, while delivered off-the-cuff, were sometimes tangential to the questions being asked, which is a bit of an issue (though he’s better at delivering his lines than some of his colleagues), and I’ll give props to Ralph Goodale for the use of “obviate” in his response.

Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to Will Amos for a navy suit with a pink shirt and blue tie with a white pocket square, and to Mona Fortier for a royal blue jacket with a black top and slacks. Style citations go out to Alice Wong for a fuchsia and black animal print jacket with a black top and slacks, and to Blaine Calkins for a tan suit with a white shirt and a grey-blue tie. Dishonourable mentions go out to Deborah Schulte, Diane Finley, Frank Baylis, Anne Quach, and Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet for repeated yellow-and-black violations. 

One thought on “QP: Blair’s blunders”

  1. Only a conservative would advocate for the loss of citizenship. We have laws in Canada and they apply to Canadians and everyone else who commits a crime here. Our constitution guarantees fair treatment under the law something the conservatives in Canada just can’t get their collective heads around.

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