With all three main party leaders at the Raptors parade in Toronto, Trudeau eventually addressing that crowd, it was up to Candice Bergen to lead off today, and she complained that the government just didn’t want to build any pipelines, even though they are due to approve the Trans Mountain expansion in just days. Amarjeet Sohi responded that they have ensured that pipelines are being built, and that they have concluded their consultations on TMX. Bergen demanded a date for when the TMX would begin construction, and Sohi dodged with a reminder that the Conservatives didn’t get any pipelines built to non-US markets. Bergen gave it another go, and Sohi reminded her that they had undertaken meaningful consultation. Gérard Deltell took over in French, lamenting that the Liberals wanted to kill the energy sector, to which Sohi found it regrettable that the Conservatives didn’t have any confidence in the sector. Deltell demanded a start date for TMX construction, and Sohi replied that Conservative actions didn’t demonstrate their own support of the project. Peter Julian was up next for the NDP, and he railed that there was no business case for TMX, and Sohi replied that the NDP didn’t understand the economy or the environment. Pierre-Luc Dusseault repeated the question in French, to which Sohi reminded him there is a diversity of opinion among First Nations along the route. Dusseault then demanded a wealth tax, per the NDP’s new policy platform, to which Bill Morneau reminded him of their Middle Class™ tax cuts and how the average family is now $2000 per year better off than under the previous government. Julian repeated the demand in English, and got much the same response.

Round two, and Alain Rayes and Pierre Poilievre worried about the price of gas given the Parliamentary Budget Officer’s report on carbon prices (Fraser: The Pope is in favour of carbon prices; Why are you following Doug Ford’s failed model? The PBO has said that most families will get more back than they pay). Karine Trudel and Daniel Blaikie demanded the government adopt the NDP’s latest policy on vision and dental care (Petitpas Taylor: We have made historic investments in mental health and home care). Mark Strahl accused the government of picking fights with the provinces (Fraser: You couldn’t get projects done because you rammed through an unworkable environmental plan, and if you want a tutor session, I can arrange one), and Shannon Stubbs demanded that Bills C-48 and C-69 be killed (Beech: We are hoping to work with all parties on C-48). Rachel Blaney worried about PTSD for a translator who was in Afghanistan (Sajjan: We are proud of the work of civilians in Afghanistan, and I have directed officials to look into this case), and Jenny Kwan railed about abortion access across the country (Petitpas Taylor: We will always defend these rights). 

Round three saw questions on softwood lumber (Oliphant: We strongly disagree with the US on these tariffs, and we are committed to the industry), asylum seekers coming from the US (Blair: We have achieved an extraordinary reduction as a results of our efforts), the Northwest Passage (Oliphant: Our Arctic sovereignty is long-standing and well established, and it’s more than an annual photo op), Canadians detained in China (Oliphant: We have rallied our allies to our cause), climate change (Fraser: The problem with your motion is that it would end subsidies that help remote Northern communities), the New NAFTA (Oliphant: This deal is great for the auto workers in your riding), concern trolling over Paris targets (Fraser: We have a plan and you don’t), a group linked to extremism getting summer job funds (Cuzner: EDSC is conducting a review and money won’t flow if they are not in compliance), money laundering (Blair: We put resources into fighting money laundering), environmental protection (Sohi: I will follow up with the member about her concerns), the proposed extraction law in Hong Kong (Oliphant: We have expressed serious concerns, and the Hong Kong government must listen to the concerns of its citizens), Quebec’s “secularism” law (Lametti: Politicians should not tell people what they can and cannot wear, and this new law violates people’s fundamental rights, and we will defend the Charter), working with the government of Nunavut (Bennett: I look forward to announcing something shortly).

Overall, it was a fairly lacklustre day, the more exhausted MPs get the closer we get to the House rising for the summer. It was a bit of a bore, really, and it was really only Sean Fraser’s ability to maintain some level of witty repartee that kept it from being a complete loss. The NDP, meanwhile, are ramping up the demands that the government adopt their latest raft of policy proposals, given that they continue to labour under the false notion that their job is “proposition, not opposition,” which is actually not how Parliament works. The number of questions they use in which to do their duty to hold the government to account are dwindling, and yet another sign that fixed election dates are garbage because they turn Parliament into a months-long campaign ad.

Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to Mélanie Joly for a black top and slacks with a fitted jacket with a three-quarter sleeves, and to Michel Picard for a medium grey suit with a light purple shirt and pocket square with a grey plaid tie. Style citations go out to Kevin Waugh for his terrible red jacket with the blue windowpane pattern, with black slacks, a white shirt and a grey plaid tie, and to Anju Dhillon for a white top with three-quarter sheer sleeves and plastic flowers at the cuffs, along with bright red slacks.