Just minutes after the Commons QP ended, Senate Question Period got underway with special guest star finance minister Bill Morneau, for what was likely to be forty minutes of Morneau’s trademarked pabulum, but in slightly longer form. Senator Larry Smith led off with a completely question about how Canada can’t get pipelines built while we help China build theirs (not true), and demanded to know when the Trans Mountain expansion would be built. Morneau noted that there were a number of questions in there, but stated that by buying the existing pipeline, they wanted to get it built but we engaged in a meaningful process of engagement with those along the line, and that they planned to make the decision by June 18th. On Smith’s other questions, the decision to be part of the Asian Infrastructure Bank was part of our global economic engagement, which has a positive impact on the Canadian economy, and on Bill C-69, they looked forward to the amendments from the Senate. On a supplemental, Smith asked whether his office was working with Catherine McKenna’s about amending Bill C-69, and her acknowledged that they were engaged, but the amendments were up to the Senate.

I think Bill Morneau has given his most substantive answer ever. It’s almost like he’s a different minister answering in the Senate. #SenQP

— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) May 14, 2019

Senator Marshall asked about home buyers programme in the budget, and the risk of household debt. Morneau said that he shares Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz’s concerns, that the work he’s done to help with overheated housing markets has worked, and he disputed her characterisation of the home buyers programme because it actually reduced the amount of debt they would carry. 

Senator Joseph Day worried about housing prices outstripping family income because housing has become a commodity to be traded rather than a home, before raising the money laundering report in BC. Morneau said that he was concerned by the problem, but he couldn’t speak to the numbers in the reports, before noting the international focus that was ongoing, and added that he was working with his provincial counterparts to get a beneficial ownership registry that works.

Senator Boehm asked about the declining debt-to-GDP ratio, and his prognostication for future growth. Morneau said that the expectation of private section forecasters was that we were likely to be among countries in a growth position, before he rambled a bit about their investments in the Canada Child Benefit and infrastructure, before noting that the low debt-to-GDP ratio makes the Canadian economy resilient. 

Senator Moncion asked about why small businesses that were part of a fishery cooperative weren’t able to benefit from beneficial tax arrangements, and Morneau said that he hoped the approach they took in the budget would help, and he was open to any other considerations she might have.

Senator Patterson asked about the carbon price being imposed on Nunavut and the lack of green energy projects in the territory. Morneau first gave a bit of an overview of the federal backstop, the climate rebates as part of it, before touching on new energy technologies in a fairly general way.

Senator Dagenais raised the Auditor General’s report on the resourcing of the Immigration and Refugee Board, and in his status as (temporary) minister of intergovernmental affairs, what the status of the Quebec demands were compensation were. Morneau noted that they added funding to the IRB, and that they continued negotiations with Quebec on any compensation. 

Senator Joyal returned to Senator Day’s question, and he lit into Morneau on the weakness of Canada’s laws around tax evasion and money laundering. Morneau first noted that they were working internationally to halt base erosion and keeping companies from moving profits to low-tax jurisdictions, noted that they were concluding international information sharing, and he was working with the provinces, some of whom were reluctant, in order to get that beneficial ownership registry in place. 

Senator Coyle offered dismay at the miserly level of international assistance that Canada was paying out. Morneau said that he would disagree with the characterisation of how Canada has comported itself on international development, that they have increased the levels over the last two years, and while there was more to do, even the investments in the Asian Infrastructure Bank was part of that international aid because of the projects it engages in.

Overall, Morneau started out strong and gave probably the best answer I have witnessed him give over the course of this entire parliament, but from there, he quickly started slipping into his habit of dissembling pabulum that talked around questions and sometimes giving a little too much context to situations so that any answers were buried in the verbal mush. Alas.

Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to Senator Margaret Anderson for a grey striped top with black slacks and a black leather jacket, and to Senator Joseph Day for a smartly tailored dark grey suit with a light blue shirt and a dark blue spotted tie. Style citations go out to Senator Jim Munson for a brown corduroy jacket with a tan shirt and black tie, and to Senator Pierrette Ringuette for a black dreads with red and orange paisley patterns across it.