QP: Trying to lay an HST trap

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The benches were again full, and all leaders were again present, though Tony Clement’s desk was noticeably vacant on the front row. Andrew Scheer led off, and in French, he started in yet again on the Statistics Canada data gathering issue, demanding the programme’s cancellation. Justin Trudeau pulled out a script to read that they were concerned with the privacy of Canadians’ data, which is why the Privacy Commissioner was involved. Scheer went again in English, and this time Trudeau didn’t need a script to equate this with the Conservatives’ war with StatsCan over the long-form census. Scheer insisted this was worse than a census, and Trudeau said that he would speak directly to Canadians to assure them that this data was anonymised, subject to strict controls, to ensure that their privacy was maintained. Scheer then switched to the subject of HST and GST being applied to the federal carbon tax, to which Trudeau said this was an attempt to muddy the waters on the plan to put a price on pollution, and by the way, the Conservatives have no intention of putting out a plan to fight climate change. Scheer insisted this was a yes or no question, and Trudeau sermonised about the dangers of climate change. Guy Caron was up next for the NDP, and accused the government of refusing to act on the motion that was adopted yesterday around lapsed veterans’ funding. Trudeau picked up a script to insist that they were spending more for veterans while the Conservatives made cuts. Caron then demanded concrete policies on climate change, but Trudeau was more keen to keep talking about veterans’ funding and listing the actions they’ve taken, before he quickly switched to saying they were taking concrete action on the environment by pricing pollution. Tracey Ramsey was up next to demand that the government refuse to ratify the New NAFTA until the steel and aluminium tariffs were dropped, to which Trudeau quoted the NDP Quebec lieutenant’s praise for the deal. Boulerice, the aforementioned lieutenant, got up next to decry those tariffs, and Trudeau pointed out that the NDP says one thing in the House, and another thing behind closed doors before repeating Boulerice’s quotes. 

Round two, and Alain Rayes, Peter Kent, and Dan Albas returned to the StatsCan concern trolling (Trudeau: You tried to kill the long form census because you don’t like data; This data is anonymised), and Lisa Raitt noted the Canada Post data breach related to the Ontario Canabis Store (Trudeau, with script: Security measures are in place, the issue was flagged, fixed, and they can be sure it won’t happen again). Rachel Blaney complained about the poverty reduction plan excluding people from the definition (Trudeau, partially with script: We need to clarify the data in order to take appropriate measures, and we have a plan to give Canadians a fair chance to succeed), and Brigitte Sansoucy said the plan should have included universal childcare, pharmacare and housing for all (Trudeau, with script: Look at all the measures we’re taking). Pierre Poilievre returned to the concern trolling over the HST and GST applying to carbon taxes (Trudeau: We need to act on climate change and are putting a price on pollution). Linda Duncan considered the rebates to coal-fired plants to undermine efforts to shutter them (Trudeau: They need to be phased out by 2030 and Alberta has been a leader), and Nathan Cullen asked about jobs around the TMX terminal and wanted assurances that they wouldn’t let a foreign buyer take over the asset (Trudeau: We’re growing the economy!)

Round three saw questions on veterans funding (Trudeau, with script: We are investing in veterans and have restored a pension-for-life option), EI sick benefits (Trudeau, with script: We brought in new measures to make getting benefits more easily), Phoenix (Trudeau, with script: We are treating this as a priority, and he backlog is down 100,000 cases; We didn’t create this problem but we will fix it), delays for services for francophone veterans (Trudeau: We are looking into these complaints), steel and aluminium tariffs (Trudeau: It was great that we could all work together to negotiate the New NAFTA), the Mark Norman case (Trudeau: It’s improper to comment because of the sub judice rule), cellphone towers (Trudeau: [Bland pabulum]), Tori Stafford’s killer (Trudeau: We have changed the rules to be more stringent going forward), and toughening GHG targets (Trudeau: We are working to meet our 2030 targets and will have more work to do after).

Overall, the day was fairly meh, with few outbursts (until the end – more on that in a moment) but when the Conservatives decided to make GST/HST on carbon taxes their new line to attack, you can be sure that Justin Trudeau steered very clear of answering directly because this was intended as a trap to get video of him saying that of course you pay GST/HST on top of other taxes, because that’s how GST works. The questions are deliberately obtuse because they want a clip of Trudeau or another minister saying yes, there will be a “tax on a tax,” which they want to use as a rallying cry for their next series of social media shitposts (which they’ve already started), and they’re not being at all clever or crafty about this. As for Andrew Scheer standing up at the end of QP to demand an apology for the government politicizing the issue of Tory Stafford’s killer, it was utterly galling. Recall that the Conservatives started graphically describing Stafford’s murder on the record until Trudeau asked them to stop for the sake of the family, and yet Scheer claims it was the Liberals politicizing it – because they called the Conservatives “ambulance chasers.” Give. Me. A. Break. 

Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to Mélanie Joly for a blue jacket with a grey check pattern and black trip, with a black top and slacks, and to Justin Trudeau for a tailored dark grey suit with a light blue shirt and a dark blue tie. Style citations go out to Ramesh Sangha for a brown and grey checked suit with a white shirt and no tie, and to Rachel Blaney for a black top with large florals, black slacks and a hot pink jacket. Special mention goes out to Celina Caesar-Chavannes for a deep blue cape over a black long-sleeved top with dark grey slacks, light grey leg-warmers, and leopard-print heels.