Tuesday, and while Justin Trudeau was present today, both Andrew Scheer and Jagmeet Singh were away for whatever the reason. Gérard Deltell led off in French, worrying about the deficit and the loss of jobs in the energy sector, and the general direction of the economy. Trudeau started that they did the work of things like poverty reduction, but they knew to leave room for situations like COVID-19. Deltell worried that they spent the cupboard bare, to which Trudeau reminded him that the Conservatives cut services to veterans and other vulnerable groups while his government has room to manoeuvre. Pierre Poilievre took over in English and listed a number of false metrics around our economy and the state of the deficit, to which Trudeau repeated his answer. Poilievre listed some cherry-picked facts about Conservative budgets, and Trudeau noted that the Conservatives neglected to invest in Canadians. Poilievre then listed a number of disingenuously framed investments by the current government, and Trudeau listed the ways in which Conservatives cut services for Canadians. Yves-François Blanchet was up for the Bloc, and he worried about poor seniors, to which Trudeau listed the measures that his government has taken to date. Blanchet repeated his demand to increase seniors’ purchasing power, and Trudeau reiterated that they have taken plenty of measures. Peter Julian led for the NDP, and he worried about measures for vulnerable workers in the gig economy, to which Trudeau assured him that they would be announcing new measures. Jenny Kwan forcefully read a demand to delay cruise season, to which Trudeau stated that they were working with provinces and sectors to support them in difficult times.
Comparing unemployment metrics to other countries is not an apples-to-apples comparison. #QP
— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) March 10, 2020
Round two, and Candice Bergen read some condemnation about the state of the economy (Fraser: Your selective use of memory is simply astounding), Richard Martel worried about “winning conditions” for the Quebec LNG project (Wilkinson: We understand they plan to continue with the assessment), Luc Berthold worried about the deficit (Fraser: Our fiscal health is very strong), Rachael Harder demanded that the energy sector get back on track — as though the government controls the world price of oil (Wilkinson: We are working to ensure the best projects go ahead), and John Brassard railed about a “fiscal cliff” (Fraser: This narrative has no basis in fact, and here’s a quote from Kevin Milligan). Christine Normandin worried about border protocols for COVID-19 regarding rail (Blair: We have protocols in place), and Kristina Michaud demanded the protocol be communicated to the border agents in Quebec (Blair: We have protocols in place and our officers have the tools they need). Matt Jeneroux wondered about travel restrictions and mandatory quarantine (Hajdu: The measures we have taken are targeted and based on evidence), Pierre Paul-Hus worried there weren’t enough Health Canada agents at airports (Blair: CBSA is in close contact with the Public Health Agency), Colin Carrie cited that a traveller from Northern Italy wasn’t screened upon arrival in Canada (Hajdu: We are following science and evidence), and Kerry-Lynne Findlay repeated the demand for more vigorous screening and mandatory quarantine (Hajdu: Mandatory quarantine wouldn’t have detected the case you cited). Don Davies worried about a shortage of ventilators (Hajdu: My letter to provinces went out weeks ago, and I’m thrilled with the support from provincial ministers of health), and Niki Ashton demanded better First Nations preparedness for COVID-19 (Miller: We had previously budgeted for emergency preparedness and surge capacity).
Sean Fraser quotes @kevinmilligan to refute the “cupboard is bare” narrative. #QP
— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) March 10, 2020
Round three saw questions on an alleged deal with the Bloc to shut down a committee investigation on the prime minister (Rodriguez: House committees are independent; If you have a question for the Bloc, ask them yourself), Quebec not getting funds from the national housing strategy (Hussen: We hope to conclude a bilateral agreement with Quebec as we have with other provinces), record high record levels on the Great Lakes (Wilkinson: The levels are a cause for concern, and the joint panel with the US is actively looking into this), a backlog for veterans’ disability claims (MacAulay: We are working hard on this, including digitizing the files, but there has been a sixty percent increase in applications), the opposition to a proposed truck-rail hub in Milton (Wilkinson: We have received the panel report and are reviewing it), the poor state of apple growers (Bibeau: There are a series of risk management programmes to help producers), a closed beef processing facility (Bibeau: This closure had an impact on the supply chain but we cannot compromise food safety), a Pacific wild salmon relief package (Jordan: We are working with partners and stakeholders), and a demand to ban fracking in Canada (Wilkinson: The practice is strictly regulated but largely falls under provincial jurisdiction).
Overall, it was a reasonably animated day, and the Liberal clapping ban was again in abeyance for the most part, so that increased the volume considerably. The questions on the state of the economy coming from the Conservatives were fairly alarming in both their general ignorance and lack of actual fact — for example, you can’t simply compare our unemployment rate to those of other G7 countries because we all measure it differently. Saying that we have one of the highest unemployment levels in the G7 is not a realistic measure to cite, and it also disingenuously ignores that we are at record low unemployment in this country, going back since the late seventies when they started tracing the Labour Force Survey in this way. That’s significant. Add to that, their understanding of government debt and deficits is flawed in a time of thirty-year bonds yields at 0.7 percent interest. As well, the way in which they continue to talk about energy projects as though the price of oil was not a factor in their not moving ahead is not only disingenuous, it is a lie of omission. Finally, the fact that the Conservatives spent several questions in the third round trying to intimate that there was some kind of Liberal-Bloc conspiracy was just pathetic. Completely and utterly pathetic. It would be great if they could occasionally behave like adults.
Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to Christine Normandin for a black top with a white and black skirt, and to Michael Barrett for a tailored navy suit with a crisp white shirt and a dark blue tie. Style citations go out to Alex Ruff for a black suit with a yellow-green shirt and a black ti with yellow stripes, and to Marie-France Lalonde for a seventies-inspired brown-toned blouse. Dishonourable mention goes out to Diane Finley for a bright yellow jacket with a black top and slacks.
Another tepid response to Poiliere’s new rants. These timid Liberals have to start calling this BS out! They know what’s coming. Aren’t there any good quip writers in all of the staff we pay for in the government? I wish they would give me the chance.
I would love it just as much if Justin would “That’s Bulls * * t!” like Joe Biden just did to some heckler, but you *know* what the reaction would be. Already there was that bad-faith motion about opposition days and “Liberal disrespect for other parties” — damned if they do and damned if they don’t. The old saying IOKIYAR comes to mind, “It’s OK If You’re a Republican” or in this case, Reformacon. They dish it out nonstop but cry bloody murder and get the utmost sympathy for their crocodile tears if and when anyone should ever dish it right back. The game is blatantly rigged when the refs are on the take.
Justin and his team are quietly helping the people affected by the virus. Canada’s response was praised by a prominent WHO official (Leona Alleslev might ask “Who official?” and inquire as to why said individual isn’t on tour with Roger Daltrey, but I digress). Why can’t the useless DipperCon ideologues and their MSM propagandist acolytes work together for the public benefit instead of always trying to score points and dunk on the prime minister? Now is *really* not the time. Especially when much of the problem comes from the saboteur premiers and the incompetent, Twitterpated germaphobe-in-chief in D.C. Be glad Trudeau isn’t tossing paper towels at the afflicted!
First his detractors say he is too front and center, a ham in the spotlight, and now they say he is an absentee leader who needs to be out there “reassuring” people. They attack his Twitter feed, heckle him in the HoC, ask misleading “gotcha” questions at every media event he ever gave, and then misrepresent or outright lie about what he did or said. Now they want daily Fireside Chats, what, so they can twist more of his statements and fundraise off them? He is too emotional, the “consoler in chief,” and now he’s being aloof and distant. Pick a lane and let public health officials and relevant ministers do their job.
And I have really had enough of them beating a dead horse on the tired, overblown, completely manufactured SNC-Benghazi-Emails-Burisma smear campaign that is as much about dog-whistling Quebecophobia as it is about Trudeau derangement syndrome. No one cares. People are dying. Might as well bring up Elbowgate, Fidel Castro, or “wasteful spending” on doughnuts. How absolutely tone-deaf and a classic example of their fanatical obsession with the man, to the neglect of the everyday people they claim to represent. Quit the scandal-mongering, personal attacks, and conspiracy theories, and do some actual work.