With little progress on the protests and blockades across the country, and with it being proto-PMQ day, it promised to be a complete gong show for Question Period. Andrew Scheer led off, mini-lectern on desk, and he quoted François Legault’s demand for a timeline to ending the blockades. Justin Trudeau said that the situation was unacceptable, but they were going to pursue a peaceful solution. Scheer raised the 1500 temporary layoffs for VIA Rail and CN Rail employees and demanded a timeline, and Trudeau reiterated that it was unacceptable but they would resolve a peaceful solution. Scheer then called Trudeau weak and demanded a deadline, for which Trudeau reiterated that they understood that this was difficult, but they needed a peaceful, lasting solution. Scheer railed about the “radical protesters,” and Trudeau repeated his same answer. Scheer then misused the phrase “rule of law,” and then tried to oh-so-cleverly insinuate that the minister was considering withdrawing the RCMP instead of sending them to dismantle the blockades and that it too was interference, and Trudeau called out Scheer’s rhetorical games. Yves-François Blanchet was up next for the Bloc, and he wondered about the nature of the forum for dialogue with First Nations leaders, to which Trudeau said this is a complex situation that they would resolve peacefully. Blanchet asked if they considered withdrawing the RCMP and replacing it with an Indigenous Force, to which Trudeau said it was a possibility that needed to be discussed with the province and the community. Jagmeet Singh was up next, and demanded that Trudeau meet with the Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs, appoint a special mediator, and withdraw the RCMP, to which Trudeau replied that the minister was waiting for them to meet with her. Singh then concern trolled about the spending on the Trans Mountain project as money that could be better spent, to which Trudeau defended the project as helping to fund the green transition.

Round two, and Leona Alleslev and Candice Bergen accused Trudeau of abdicating his responsibility to the premiers as Scott Moe is assembling the premiers (Trudeau: I just spoke with him, and all premiers agree we need a peaceful solution), Alain Rayes and Luc Berthold invoked François Legault to demand a timeline (Trudeau: We are proposing peaceful solutions, unlike you guys), John Barlow raised the effect of the blockades on farmers (Trudeau: We need a solution that is peaceful and not raise the rhetoric or temperature), and Mark Strahl demanded police action (Trudeau: We will resolve the situation peacefully). Kristina Michaud demanded that the RCMP be asked to withdraw and apologise for their “overzealousness” (Trudeau: The RCMP acts for the province in BC, and they ), and Sylvie Bérubé worried that meeting which the hereditary chiefs was taking too long (Trudeau: She is waiting for them). Pierre Paul-Hus and Glen Motz demanded that the RCMP be directed to end the blockades (Trudeau: The Belleville blockade is under the jurisdiction of the OPP; Governments don’t direct police operations), and Pierre Poilievre smarmily asked if the PM know how much these blockades were costing the federal treasury (Trudeau: Usual response) and how many have lost their jobs (Trudeau: Same answer). Taylor Bachrach demanded that Trudeau travel to Wet’suwet’en territory to sit down with the chiefs (Trudeau: They have been negotiating with the province on rights and title issues), and Laurel Collins worried about the Trans Mountain expansion costs (Trudeau: This is necessary for our green transition).

https://twitter.com/AaronWherry/status/1230220849548079104

Round three saw yet more questions on the blockades (Trudeau: Recociliation doesn’t mean deciding who speaks for Indigenous communities and picking and choosing is the old, broken system; We have always worked peacefully to solve challenges; It’s illegal to block a railway but you can’t just use force), Blanchet was back up to worry that Trudeau refused a meeting with the Wet’suwet’en chiefs (Trudeau: The minister is waiting on them), even more chest-thumping questions on the blockades (Trudeau: The only path forward is to exhaust every opportunity to resolve this peacefully; Forceful actions will only make things worse), delivering on promises for Alberta (Trudeau: We have been working to help Albertans by building the Trans Mountain expansion).

Overall, it was a much quieter day than yesterday, and Scheer largely held his temper, thus avoiding a repeat of his breathy and high-pitched performance. Trudeau’s answers hardly varied at all throughout the day, which was not surprising, but the only real thing of note was the fact that virtually no one asked a follow-up questions, but rather the tactic was to have as many Conservatives ask as many questions as possible, because they need as many clips for social media as possible. That’s all QP is any longer, of course, which continues to be my lasting disappointment. If anything surprised me today, it was that Scheer didn’t go in for a second round, and try to make his the face of trying to challenge Trudeau on this file, but that didn’t happen, and it’s probably just as well.

Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to Adam van Koeverden for a tailored navy jacket with a crisp white shirt and a red patterned tie, and to Patty Hajdu from mauve suit with a blue windowpane pattern and a white sweater. Style citations go out to Mona Fortier for a black dress with bright florals, and to Stephen Guilbeault for a mauve-tinted brown suit with a white shirt and yellow tie. Dishonourable mention goes out to Louise Charbonneau for a yellow jacket with a black top and a leopard-print scarf. Special mention goes out to Candice Bergen for a very cougarific leopard-print dress with three-quarter sleeves.