QP: Petty diminution

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The benches were largely, but not completely, full for caucus day, but not all of the leaders were present. Andrew Scheer led off, mini-lectern on desk, and in French, he complained that Canadian tax dollars were being used by China to extend their foreign influence by way of the Asian Infrastructure Bank, and Trudeau took up a script to read that Scheer was misleading Canadians, given that the investment bank had other Western partners, and that they had projects like preventing land slides in Sri Lanka, or flood management in the Philippines. Scheer repeated the question in English, and Trudeau read the English version of the same script. Scheer accused the government of not beating their chests enough, and demanded they pull the funding from said bank, and in response, Trudeau said that they were standing up for Canadians in the world and gave a plug for their new aid package for canola farmers. Scheer claimed it was a Conservative idea, and accused Trudeau of weakness on the international stage, and Trudeau hit back by the Conservative wanted to capitulate on NAFTA, that his government saved CETA and the TPP, that they were working on the canola problem for weeks when the Conservatives had bothered a about for days. Scheer claimed Trudeau was simply being dramatic and then he cued his caucus to join him in shouting that Trudeau had done “nothing!” Trudeau gave an equally forceful retort about a decade of Conservative failures. Brigitte Sansoucy led off for the NDP to rail about the Loblaws contract instead of helping people, and Trudeau reminded her about the middle class tax cut and the Canada Child Benefit that lifted children out of poverty while the NDP voted against those measures. Charlie Angus accused the government of trying to rig judicial appointments, and Trudeau reminded him that they put on a new, transparent and open process. Angus then railed that ten government wasn’t helping the people of Kasheshewan, and Trudeau reminded him that they have been engaged in the file, that they have selected a site and are making plans for the move, but in partnership with the community. Sansoucy repeated the question in French, and Trudeau read the same response in French from a script.

Round two, and Alain Rayes and Lisa Raitt repeated yesterday’s insinuations that PMO somehow influenced the Commissioner of Elections to give SNC-Lavalin a compliance agreement for their decade-old illegal donations (Trudeau: We returned all illegal donations and put in new fundraising rules), and Jacques Gourde and Mark Strahl railed about a law firm getting a Justice Department contract (Trudeau: This was within the rules of the department, and hey, why won’t you be transparent about your fundraisers?) Karine Trudel accused the government of disrespecting the rights of workers (Trudeau: We restored union rights, implemented pay equity legislation, and gave new leaves and flexible work arrangements). Luc Berthold and Randy Hoback railed about canola farmers (Trudeau: We were happy to deliver new interest-free loans like they’ve been asking for), Dean Allison demanded that the government launch a WTO trade complaint against China (Trudeau: China is using flimsy excuses that won’t fly), and Erin O’Toole demanded a new ambassador be named to China (Trudeau: You guys are all over the place). Alistair MacGregor demanded a full recovery plan for wild Pacific salmon (Trudeau, with script: We have put in new funds in place, and fisheries closures are required for recovery of the species), and Robert Aubin railed about climate change versus the Trans Mountain pipeline (Trudeau: The environment and the economy go hand in hand, and we will ensure that there are safe exports but also a price on pollution and invest in green technology).

Round three saw questions on the Trans Mountain pipeline (Trudeau: Your refusal to take the environment and Indigenous partnerships seriously have hurt the industry), the Asian Infrastructure Bank (Trudeau: This is petty politics and misleading Canadians), rural inter-city bus service in Saskatchewan (Trudeau: We would entertain any proposal they bring forward), a national disaster mitigation grant for Grand Forks (Trudeau, with script: Platitudes about flood assistance), fundraising issues (Trudeau: We hold our fundraisers in open while your leader holds his in secrecy), if the RCMP contacted him about the Double-Hyphen Affair (Trudeau: No), arms sales to Saudi Arabia (Trudeau: We have been expressing our concerns to the Saudis directly), Scheer got back up to wonder when the PM would file his statement of claim on the libel suit (Trudeau: You want to focus on me, but I’m focusing on Canadians), then government of Nunavut not getting funding for housing and services that ITK has (Trudeau: I am always pleased to deal with the premier, but I won’t apologise for a distinctions-based approach to reconciliation).

Overall, there were a number of things arising out of today’s QP worth noting, starting with the fact that Trudeau was a bit hoarse, so it could be a sign that he’s a bit under the weather. This having been said, there was a very noticeable trend in QP today where the Conservatives would refer to Trudeau simply as the “Liberal leader” instead of as the prime minister — something they started doing earlier in the week but was very noticeable today. Aside from the fact that doing so goes against the Standing Orders — he is to be referred to by his title, which is prime minister — but it’s this petty little game another trying to diminish him in their public estimation, with a side of trying to divide him from the caucus as part of their demands that he resign without trying to call a confidence vote. But like I said, it’s petty, and beyond that, it’s certainly not parliamentary, which you would think that supposed Parliament nerd Andrew Scheer would care about. Apparently not. I also noticed that a few Conservatives also wedged their ad campaign line, about Trudeau being “not always as advertised” into their slogans, because again, this is narrative building and for use in clipping for social media and they can have a cohesive message between platforms, hoping to recreate their former successes with “Not a leader” or “He didn’t come back for you.” And all of this on top of their usual plethora of falsehoods that largely have gone unaddressed by the government, though I would note that Trudeau did say that Scheer was misleading Canadians on his questions about the Asian Infrastructure Bank, though the use of “misleading” was more common in French responses than English ones.

Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to Lisa Raitt for a dark grey suit with a matching top, and to Tom Kmiec for a medium grey three-piece suit with a white shirt and a cream and black striped tie. Style citations go out to Ramesh Sangha for a terra cotta jacket and tie with a white shirt and khaki slacks, and to Jane Philpott for a navy dress with florals and a black jacket.

3 thoughts on “QP: Petty diminution”

  1. “Overall, there were a number of things arising out of today’s QP worth noting, starting with the fact that Trudeau was a bit hoarse, so it could be a sign that he’s a bit under the weather.”

    Oh, so now they’ve made him ill? What do they want, for him to drop dead of a heart attack on the House floor so they can fundraise and make Twitter clips off that? Why the hell would anyone want to run for office in this free-range insane asylum of a country knowing what they’re going to get? Policies? Who wants to talk about policies when you can just bully and belittle the other guy?

    The level of bile that the shitposting party has flung at Liberal MPs and Trudeau in particular — even his family — is outrageous, unprofessional, childish and pathetic. Right out of the GOP’s playbook.

  2. Let’s look at he meaning of the word petty. Websters describes petty this way….small, minute, having little or no importance or significance, reflective of minor interests. When applied to Scheer and his merry band of crispy fat fried taters it actually is significantly appropo. Thank you. From this day forward I will refer to them as petty cons.

  3. When I watched the marathon voting session a few weeks ago, I was struck by the high-handed way the Conservatives talked to the Speaker. I think it was a deputy Speaker in the chair at the time, but at least once Michelle Rempel sounded like she was giving him or her instructions: “You need to (make this ruling or something)”. It wasn’t the only instance, but the one I remember most vividly. I don’t regularly watch the sessions, so I don’t know if that’s normal. But I felt uncomfortable at the way the Conservatives in general seemed to address the Speaker. I haven’t seen that before at the provincial or federal level.

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