In advance of the much-anticipated testimony from Jody Wilson-Raybould at committee, MPs were gathered for proto-PMQs. Andrew Scheer led off in French, reading that the prime minister is still dictating what Wilson-Raybould is able to say. Trudeau stood up, with a script, and he disputed that by insisting that they waived confidences and privilege so that she can give a full airing. Scheer switched to English to repeat the accusation, and Trudeau put down the script to repeat his points, calling that waiver unprecedented because Canadians need to hear different perspectives on the matter. Scheer insisted that the fine print shows that something happened, and Trudeau repeated that they waived any confidences or privileges that would constrain her. Scheer tried yet again to insist that there was still something being hidden, and Trudeau responded with a soliloquy about how seriously they take the rule of law and our institutions. Scheer demanded to know why he wouldn’t waive any remaining privilege, and Trudeau reminded him that there is a specific issue at play. Guy Caron was up next, and in French, he repeated the same concern that Wilson-Raybould was still being muzzled, and Trudeau responded that they had confidence in the processes underway, which was why they waived those confidences. Caron insisted that they were only going to get half of the story, and Trudeau gave one of his disappointed replies about how he understands that the opposition has a job to do but that they are playing politics. Charlie Angus was up next to give the sanctimonious English version of the question, and Trudeau repeated that they waived confidentiality in order to let her speak. Angus demanded Trudeau appear before committee to testify, and Trudeau decried his desperate partisan approach, citing his language in describing how Cabinet government works.
Round two, and Candice Bergen, Alain Rayes, and Michael Cooper got back up to demand all privileges be waived (Trudeau: This is a matter about what happened when she was Attorney General; We are protecting jobs while respecting our institutions; we are interested in a rigorous process; You obviously misunderstood the Order in Council). Ruth Ellen Brosseau and Murray Rankin returned to the demands to waive full confidences (Trudeau: We did waive all relevant confidences). Michael Barrett and Pierre Paul-Hus took their own turns to demand a full waiver (Trudeau: We are allowing for a full airing at committee). Alexandre Boulerice demanded an end to fossil fuel subsidies (Trudeau: We don’t have to make a choice between protecting the environment and growing the economy, and and we have a price on carbon), and Jenny Kwan demanded investments for real people in the next budget (Trudeau: Far be it for me to stand in the way of a good rhetorical question, but hey, we hit our poverty reduction goals three years ahead of schedule).
Round three saw questions on whether there were any assurances given to SNC-Lavalin (Trudeau: We will always stand up jobs while respecting judicial independence), demanding a full waiver (Trudeau: We took the unprecedented step of waiving all relevant confidences), ice road communities who want full-year access (Trudeau: We are making historic investments and I know those communities and we are working with them), First Nations land rights (Trudeau: We partner with those communities where we can), changes to the integrity framework (Trudeau: We stand up for jobs and respect the rule of law), disability tax credit rejections (Trudeau: Our government is passing accessibility legislation, but there is still work to do), when the PM learned that SNC-Lavalin procured prostitutes for Muammar Gaddafi’s son (Trudeau: We will stand up for jobs, etc).
Overall, we got the same question/demand over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and please dear gods on Olympus end it now. We only got a bit of reprieve from some NDP questions on the environment and First Nations, and when Pierre Poilievre tried to construct some new conspiracy theory about the PM allegedly protecting someone with the SNC-Lavalin allegations. There was little that was edifying in any of this, so we’ll see what fallout the Wilson-Raybould testimony has tomorrow.
Sartorially speaking, snaps go out go Navdeep Bains for a dark grey suit with a light blue shirt and a pink turban and tie, and to Chrystia Freeland for a short-sleeved fuchsia dress. Style citations go out to Bardish Chagger for a boxy dusky rose jacket with a black skirt, and to Robert Sopuck for his hateful brown corduroy jacket with a taupe waistcoat, white shirt and dark blue tie. Dishonourable mention goes out to Deborah Schulte for a black suit with a lemon yellow top.