While Justin Trudeau was in town but not in Question Period, Andrew Scheer was also away for reasons undisclosed. Candice Bergen led off on the Vice-Admiral Mark Norman issue again, demanding that the government turn over recordings of Cabinet meetings where shipbuilding contracts were discussed. Ralph Goodale got up to respond by reminding her that this is before the courts and they can’t discuss it. Bergen raised the spectre that the government was destroying records because of the Ontario Liberals did in relation to the gas plants scandal. Goodale reminded her of the Standing Orders that state that matters before the courts can’t be discussed. Bergen tried again on the same insinuations, and Goodale said that the government follows the law. Gérard Deltell got up to try again in French, and Goodale reminded him about the independence of the courts. Deltell reminded him that Paul Martin released records for the sponsorship scandal, and Goodale cautioned him that commentary like that was not permitted. Guy Caron was up next for the NDP, demanding expungements instead of pardons for former simple possession convictions. Goodale reminded him that the old system didn’t work which was why they changed it, and that they were putting in a new expedited process for those pardons. Caron asked again in French, and Caron reminded him that the expungements for when the law itself was discriminatory such as when it criminalised people for being gay. Hélène Laverdière got up next, and asked the government to apply the Magnitsky Act on Saudi officials responsible for the disappearance and possible death of Jamal Khashoggi. Chrystia Freeland assured her that they were working with partners to call for answers, but when Laverdière asked again in English, bringing up our arms sales, and Freeland gave a more pointed response about the G7 foreign minister’s statement that she led.

Round two, and Erin O’Toole, Richard Martel, and John Brassard returned to demands for records in the Norman trial (Wilson-Raybould: This is handled arms length by the Public Prosecution Service; Goodale: Here’s a quote from Peter Van Loan about answering about court processes). Romeo Saganash railed about Pablo Rodriguez’s comment about the lack of systemic racism in Canada (Anandasangaree: We have looking to repair our relationship with Indigenous people), and Sheri Benson called the new asbestos regulations “watered down” (McKenna: Here are some quotes from groups who say these are great). James Bezan accused Scott Brison of being an Irving agent as it relates to Norman’s case (Goodale: We can’t comment on matters before the courts), and Leona Alleslev demanded the evidence be produced (Wilson-Raybould: This matter is before the courts). Gord Johns demanded a cap to credit card interchange fees (Ng: We are working with credit card companies to save small businesses money), and Brigitte Sansoucy demanded more EI reforms (Vaughan: We have been working on this to close the gaps).

Round three saw questions on returning ISIS fighters (Goodale: They need to take full responsibility for their conduct, and our security and police services are gathering evidence, and we have so far charged four and convicted two; We have not offered to repatriate anyone), Canada Post not getting the duty exemptions of private couriers (Freeland: Canadian small businesses asked us to keep de minimus levels low, and we did), collecting tax from Netflix (Fillmore: We are reviewing the Broadcasting Act to reform it, and there will be no free rides), labour shortages in Quebec (Hajdu: Our booming economy has created this problem and we are working to ensure there are opportunities), small business taxes (O’Connell: We are lowering their taxes), the mission to Mali (O’Regan: We try to mitigate levels of risk as best as possible and we will ensure they have the right training and right equipment), barriers to equality for women (Duguid: Look at all the things we’ve done), an international parental kidnapping (Goldsmith-Jones: We are providing consular assistance), sanctions for Saudi Arabia (Freeland: Our call for human rights has been loud and clear), and energy-intensive cannabis production (McKenna: We are committed to reducing emissions, and are putting a price on carbon).

Erin Weir asks about the carbon emissions of cannabis production.
The Conservatives were quite impressed and applauded profusely. #QP

— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) October 18, 2018

Overall, it was another fairly repetitive day, with the bulk of the Conservative questions again being on the Mark Norman file, but all of their insistence that this as about the rule of law, and the Charter rights to a fair trial, they kept showing their cards and undermining their own case by making insinuations of cover-ups and government criminality, which led to Ralph Goodale admonishing them time and again about why the Standing Orders prohibit these kinds of questions. Seriously, if you want to insist you’re not trying to prejudice the court proceedings, why assert that it’s a political cover-up while you’re at it? And on and on it went, until they switched to returning ISIS fighters and the further insinuations they were making there, which Goodale did provide a corrective for in a way most other ministers seem otherwise incapable of doing.

Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to Raj Grewal for a tailored dark grey three-piece suit with a light blue shirt and pocket square with a red turban and tie, and to Jane Philpott for a black dress with a white ring pattern with a black jacket. Style citations go out to Hedy Fry for a gold and black vortex dress, and to Martin Shields for a tan corduroy jacket with a green-grey shirt and dark yellow tie.