The tale of absent MP Nicola Di Iorio got even more bizarre yesterday as he started talking to the media, but remained secretive about what he’s been up to since he stopped showing up to Parliament. Di Iorio claims that when he announced his intention to resign in April, there was an outpouring of support from the riding that had him reconsider. Fair enough. He then disputed the reporting that an issue had arisen because he wanted to hand-pick his successor rather than run an open nomination…and then basically confirmed it by saying he wants a hand in picking the successor in the riding and not wanting it to be an open nomination, casting aspersions on the nomination process and claiming the nomination is the election (because it’s a pretty safe seat). So, points for that own-goal.

But wait – it gets even more bizarre. Di Iorio claims that he is on a special assignment from the prime minister that has work that keeps him busy in the riding – too busy to be in Ottawa. And he won’t say what that work is, other than it has something to do with “road safety.” And to add to that, PMO confirmed that he “agreed to continue his work to ensure a smooth transition in his riding and to work on specific files that are in line with his work experience and expertise,” and that he’s expected to announce his decision regarding his future in the coming days. I’m…unconvinced by this. In my ten years covering the Hill, I have never seen any MP disappear for months on a “special assignment” that is so demanding that they can’t show up in Ottawa. I’ve seen plenty of sick leaves, and one or two stress leaves, but never a “special assignment” that has them ignoring their actual duties in Ottawa, where they should be. And why the PMO is being vague about this as well is all the more odd, and smacks of trying to save some kind of face for the situation that Di Iorio has caused. I’m not convinced that any of this is legitimate, so we’ll see what he has to say in the “coming days.”

Meanwhile, here’s Katie Simpson talking about her interview with Di Iorio yesterday.

Di Iorio tells me that it is false that he wanted to “hand-pick” his next successor, however he confirmed, at length, that he should be able to have a say in who becomes next candidate in his riding, listing off his abilities as a good judge of character.

— Katie Simpson (@Katie___Simpson) November 2, 2018

He also says he was given permission by the whip and PM to not attend his duties in the House of Commons, to conduct unspecified work on the PM’s behalf. Despite being asked multiple times, he would not discuss the work he is doing, only to say we should ask the PM.

— Katie Simpson (@Katie___Simpson) November 2, 2018

Di Iorio tells me that after he announced he would be quitting last April, he started meeting with his constituents "And in the process of doing that, I'm receiving obviously their appreciation, and also their insistence that I remain"

— Katie Simpson (@Katie___Simpson) November 2, 2018

When I pressed Di Iorio to find out what he's doing while away from the House of Commons, he said "they are matters that require my abilities, my knowledge, my experience, my expertise, and very important, groups and individuals with whom I'm adept at interacting"

— Katie Simpson (@Katie___Simpson) November 2, 2018

Government source says that Di Iorio has been given permission to work away from the hill, to dedicate his time to road safety work. Source could not tell me when that work started, could not tell me how many other Liberal MPs have been granted this kind of permission.

— Katie Simpson (@Katie___Simpson) November 2, 2018

Good reads:

• Justin Trudeau was in Tsilhqot’in territory in BC to offer the official apology for the historic hanging of six chiefs directly to the people of the community.
• The government is giving a half-assed explanation about why coal-fired plants are not subject to the full carbon price, and it more or less makes some sense.
• Jean-Yves Duclos says that poverty-reduction legislation is coming next week.
• Jody Wilson-Raybould says she won’t entertain changes to the assisted dying laws to permit advanced directives, despite the ordeal of a woman in Halifax.
• The IRB says that the wait-time for asylum seekers to get hearings is 21 months unless the government can better fund them.
• The Privacy Commissioner is unconvinced by the Liberals’ arguments for not beefing up privacy in the new election bill.
• In a 7-1 decision, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that they can’t force Hydro-Québec to renegotiate its Churchill Falls contract because prices changed.
• The government announced that they will order a sixth Arctic Offshore Patrol ship from Irving shipyards. Not that the Royal Canadian Navy will be able to crew it…
• In VADM Mark Norman news, the government turned over thousands of secret documents to a judge to vet, while Irving wants standing in that decision.
• It appears that pre-contact Indigenous artefacts were found on Parliament Hill, and the reports of those findings were buried.
• Four years after winning the right to unionise, the RCMP are finally voting on whether the National Police Federation will become their union.
• Independent senators say they’re trying to develop some “best practices” for dealing with lobbyists, as they’re becoming overwhelmed with the number of requests.
• Former GG Adrienne Clarkson penned an op-ed to give a hint as to why she’s used government office funds, but only goes part of the way to transparency.
• The president of Alberta’s energy regulator is planning to retire after he apologised for creating panic by revealing the “worst case scenario” of oil sands cleanup costs.
• Alberta is slowing its oil production because of backlogs that are causing the prices to drop because of too much supply on the market during refinery shutdowns.
• In the wake of yesterday’s SCC judgment in the Churchill Falls case, Colby Cosh raises a skeptical eyebrow at the nature of Justice Rowe’s dissent.
• Susan Delacourt suggests the sniping between Ottawa and Ontario is but a preview of the coming federal election.
• Andrew Coyne lists all that is disappointing with the way the Liberals have handled their election debate commissioner propoals.

Odds and ends:

The Liberal government in New Brunswick fell on the Throne Speech, and the PCs will form government. Here’s James Bowden and Lyle Skinner’s full pedant guide.

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