QP: Juvenile attributions

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While Justin Trudeau had promised to be present for one of the final QPs of this parliament, he was absent as things got underway, while Andrew Scheer was also absent (though he too was also in town). Lisa Raitt led off, demanding a start date for the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, to which Patty Hajdu said that there was more to come shortly. Raitt gave a homily about all of the people she spoke to who didn’t believe the pipeline would happen before she repeated her demand, and Hajdu went on a tear about all the things the Conservatives didn’t get done before repeating that they would have more to say soon. Raitt railed that nobody believes the government, but it didn’t change Hajdu’s answer. Gérard Deltell took over in French to repeat the demand, letting Hajdu go on a paean about how her government respects workers. Deltell tried one last time, disingenuously ignoring the Federal Court of Appeal decision, and Hajdu repeated her previous response one last time. Jagmeet Singh was up next, and in French, he lamented that the TMX would not do anything for the environment or Indigenous rights, to which Catherine McKenna got up to lament that the Conservatives didn’t vote for the motion on the climate emergency. Singh switched English and flailed about fossil fuel subsidies before demanding action on climate instead of symbolism, to which McKenna listed actions the government has taken. Singh then lamented the national housing strategy as not being ambition enough, to which Goodale said that the without their government, housing funding would have been cut otherwise. Singh flailed a bit more to repeat the question in French, and Goodale reiterated his response.

Round two, and Alain Rayes railed about carbon prices (McKenna: Even the Pope says we need a price on pollution), and Pierre Poilievre performed his smarmy routine about small business tax changes (Morneau: We lowered the small business taxes while making the system fairer; We have made the decision to help the Middle Class™). Alexandre Boulerice and Peter Julian angrily denounced the TMX (McKenna: We are focusing on the transition to a clean economy, and the Conservatives won’t say we’re in a climate emergency; Lefebvre: We invested in the oceans protection plan and have a plan to ensure resource projects move forward in the right way). Richard Martel and Jamie Schmale demanded with withdrawal of Bill C-69 (McKenna: You didn’t listen to Indigenous peoples, and that’s not how projects move ahead), and Shannon Stubbs added Bills C-48 and 68 at the same time (McKenna: Your government’s changes couldn’t get projects done). Sheri Benson demanded immediate action on homelessness (Vaughan: The PBO did identify an increase in front-line services, but he doesn’t count the Canada Housing Benefit, or our agreements with provinces), and Rachel Blaney worried that there weren’t enough Fisheries staff to monitor poaching (Wilkinson: We just restored protections and have made new investments in the system).

Round three saw more concern trolling on the Paris targets (McKenna: You voted against our motion on the  climate emergency) plus questions on the trade dispute with China (Bibeau: We have been standing up to China since the very beginning), the detained Canadians (Oliphant: We have rallied our allies to get these Canadians home), autism services (Petitpas Taylor: We are supporting them with community-based projects), the report on the tax gap (Lebouthillier: We have been working on this from the beginning and the report shows we are on the right track), summer jobs funding to a group linked to terrorism (Hajdu: The department is looking into this), the conspiracy theory about an MP’s former law firm and a possible money laundering deal (Blair: You may want to test that assertion outside of this chamber), a cellphone tower (Massé: This matter is before the courts), softwood lumber dispute (Oliphant: We refused to accept a bad deal like you did), the Quebec “secularism” law (Lametti: We will defend Charter rights), and free speech online (Lametti: The limits of free speech online is something all government should look into).

Overall, it was a slightly more raucous day today than yesterday, but also far more annoying in some of the lines of questioning. While the anticipated demands for a start date of TMX construction were predicated on a particular bit of feigned ignorance of the whole Federal Court of Appeal decision, it was Pierre Poilievre’s particular smarmy tactic of making a number of ludicrous assumptions that he was attributing to the government, and if they didn’t refute them then he would say that they admitted it. Of course, if they did deny it, he would also state that his assertion was true, so there wasn’t much room for a decent response in any way,  but I’m sure a more confident debater could call bullshit and put Poilievre in his place. Sadly, Bill Morneau is not a confident debater, and he mostly listed off pabulum talking points, and thus, Poilievre’s antics remain uncontested. Meanwhile, it was a change to see Patty Hajdu get feisty for a change, and her particular smackdown of Racheal Harder was something to behold. We don’t get nearly enough of those kinds of feisty exchanges in QP. Finally, I will reiterate my call that someone should have a talk to Peter Kent about his conspiracy theorising. It’s not cute, and from a former journalist like he is, it’s absolutely alarming.

Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to Raj Grewal for a dark grey three-piece suit with a white shirt and pocket square, and a navy tie and turban, and to Catherine McKenna for a black dress with a notched neckline and a white jacket. Style citations go out to Linda Duncan for a white three-quarter sleeved dress with bright red horizontal strip s and black vertical line panels, and to Scott Reid for a sandstone-coloured jacket with a red grid pattern, with grey slacks, a pink shirt with red speckles and a hot pink and blue plaid tie. Dishonourable mention goes out to Rachael Harder for a black jacket and skirt with a yellow top with florals.

One thought on “QP: Juvenile attributions”

  1. I’m surprised that Mark Strahl the “heckler in chief” wasn’t front and center today. I guess someone forgot to give the “brick” his written notes.
    It is too late now for the Liberals to adopt the much needed in your face callouts of these Con sleaze operatives so we can only hope that they bring a better game to the campaign.

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