QP: Amateur hour conspiracies in the face of a pandemic

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Wednesday, caucus day, and while all of the leaders were present, the benches were not nearly as full as they usually are on caucus day. Andrew Scheer led off, mini-lectern on desk, and he immediately blamed Justin Trudeau for the weak economic growth figure, listing a bunch of disingenuous items that counted as “proof.” Trudeau stood up to talk about investing in Canadians, lifting a million people out of poverty while having the strongest balance sheet in the G7. Scheer listed a bunch of things that the government spent on what were framed in a disingenuous way, to which Trudeau reiterated his previous points. Scheer listed yet more false points about Harper’s record versus this one, before demanding tax cuts and the elimination of “red tape,” and Trudeau got a bit indignant in defending the Canada Child Benefit while calling out Scheer for petty politics. Scheer raised the Berskshire Hathaway pullout from the Quebec LNG plan, to which Trudeau reminded him that the very same company just invested in a wind farm in Alberta. Scheer changed to French to then accuse him of striking a secret deal with the Bloc go keep them from re-opening the Double Hyphen Affair in committee, to which Trudeau stated that he defended jobs while standing up for the legal system. Yves-François Blanchet stood up for the Bloc, and stated that they blocked the committee study to prevent another round of people screaming that all Quebeckers were corrupt, before he switched to COVID-19 measures, to which Trudeau reminded him that they have been taking all measures that their scientific advisors stated. Blanchet demanded more border restrictions, daily press briefings and more purchasing power for seniors, and Trudeau reiterated his reassurances. Jagmeet Singh was up next for the NDP, worrying about workers who can’t access EI, and Trudeau assured him that they are working on additional measures. Singh repeated the demand, and Trudeau reiterated that they would be there for all Canadians.

Round two, and Alain Rayes, Michael Barrett, and Gérard Deltell returned to the Bloc conspiracy theory and what he “offered them” (Trudeau: We defended workers and aren’t playing petty politics; Trudeau: Absolutely nothing). Blanchet was back up to repeat the call for increased purchasing power for seniors (Trudeau: We increased the GIS and took other measures to help seniors), and Luc Thériault demanded that provincial health transfers be returned to 5.2 percent (Trudeau: We announced this mornings that provinces would be getting additional transfers to combat COVID-19). Deltell was back up on the Bloc conspiracy (Trudeau: same reply), Matt Jeneroux demanded mandatory quarantines from travellers from high-risk countries (Trudeau: We are following the advice of experts), Pierre Paul-Hus worried that border questions were not being updated (Trudeau, with script: We are following all public health advice, have increased inspections and added additional measures at borders) and irregular border crossers being a potential vector for transmission (Trudeau: We assure the identity and safety for all travellers whether they are regular or irregular). Leah Gazan loudly read a demand to stop discriminating against First Nations children (Trudeau, with script: We are working with the parties to ensure compensation and have found a number of areas of agreement), and Charlie Angus worried about what COVID-19 would do to remote First Nations (Trudeau: We are focussing on what we can do to ensure this doesn’t devastate their communities).

Round three saw questions on drugs for rare diseases (Trudeau: We have put forward a rare disease strategy and are moving to make drugs more affordable; It is up to manufacturers to request licensing in Canada), flooding along the Great Lakes (Trudeau: We recognise that flooding and extreme weather will get worse with climate change, which your party is deaf to; with script: The international joint panel with the US addresses these issues, and a briefing will be provided in the coming weeks), border officials not adequately screening arrivals (Trudeau: We have made decisions based on science and expert recommendations), the lack of enhanced screening at land borders (Trudeau: We are following expert guidance, and enhanced measures have been taken at land borders), the Quebec LNG project (Trudeau: This project is still early in the assessment process), the deficit producing “so little” (Trudeau: Only a Conservative would think that a million people lifted out of poverty is so little), gun smuggling (Trudeau: We have strengthened border controls and are taking other gun control measures), prison needle exchange (Trudeau, with script: The prevention of infectious diseases protects everyone, including prison staff, and threat assessments were completed on everyone in the program), CRA’s focus-testing envelope colours (Trudeau: We chose to stop partisan advertising by government), rising HIV infection rates and self-test kits (Trudeau: We are working with public health officials and experts to ensure that they have the right tools).

Overall, the Conservatives’ performance today is probably best, and most politely, described as a complete amateur clown show. Given everything going on right now, particularly with COVID-19 now being classified as a pandemics, and yet Andrew Scheer chose to lead off with a bunch of ludicrous bullshit on the economic situation, followed by eight — eight! — questions on the accusation that some kind of secret deal was cooked up with the Bloc to prevent yet another resurrection of the Double-Hyphen Affair at committee, which wasted everyone’s time and was simply for the sake of creating a bunch of faux outrage clips that they plan to spread across their social media channels. It was not only tone deaf, but it speaks to the absolute inability by this opposition to take their responsibilities seriously. I remain curious why the Bloc have become so obsessed with the “purchasing power” of seniors, and while the NDP did ask about COVID-19 related issues, I’m not sure how effective their framing devices were. That said, while Trudeau did fairly well in his responses today, nearly making all of them extemporaneously, I do think he could have been a bit more precise in a few of the responses (such as explaining why travel bans don’t work), simple assurances aren’t going to really cut it in this kind of a situation, and he needs to up his own game. That’s my usual complaint, but it’s especially true now. 

Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to Tom Kmiec for a medium blue jacket with an off-white waistcoat, white shirt, red-striped tie and dark wash jeans, and to Patty Hajdu for a navy top with white patterns under a black jacket with three-quarter sleeves and black slacks. Style citations go out to Elizabeth May for a boxy gold jacket with black horizontal stripes, a high ruffled collar and comically large buttons, and to Larry Bagnell for a dark grey suit with a bright red shirt and a navy and red tie.

5 thoughts on “QP: Amateur hour conspiracies in the face of a pandemic”

  1. Scheer is the conservative version of Bernie Sanders. He’s a zombie candidate who has nothing to lose. A cornered animal in his death throes who will “Bern” everything down to get his revenge. The cons have become radicalized and will sabotage any and all efforts on COVID-19 — even if people die — just so they can blame Trudeau and say he has blood on his hands.

    They still have the handbook on how to cripple Parliament. They will manufacture scandal after scandal and relentlessly demonize him with the help of their pliant corporate media apparatuses framing everything he says and does in the negative. SNC SNC SNC, emails, Benghazi, Burisma, U(k)rainium One, Fast and Furious, Whitewater… it’s all the same GOP North derangement syndrome BS, and unfortunately it has an effect. But remember, this is the “pro-life” party that doesn’t care about sick people as long as they can own the Libs. Can’t wait for budget day with another rerun of the howler monkeys thumping on their desks about SNC and shouting down poor mild-mannered Morneau.

    Perhaps it won’t be MacKay or O’Toole bringing the government down sooner rather than later. Perhaps Trudeau will pull the plug himself and either leave the mess for someone else to clean up or (metaphorically) torch the place on his way out. Feel the Bern.

    • As some have suggested, you must be a Russian troll. Only that would explain your flip-flopping from supposed devotion to Justin one day and the suggestion that he will/should depart government the next. On the other hand — if you are an American, as you claim — that would account for your stunning lack of understanding of Canadian politics.

      Sadly, most Americans don’t have a clue about political systems other than their own. The best they can do is offer embarrassingly lame analogies to their own dreadful politics. Sadly, you have demonstrated that ignorance again in today’s post. Clearly, like your compatriot Trump, you have no shame.

  2. Confused by your recap about Charlie Angus’s question. Are experts relaying remote reservations are in any particular risk?

    • He and Niki Ashton in particular think those remote reservations are especially susceptible to infection, especially with poor drinking water and crowded housing.

  3. To even say the name of Bernie Sanders with Scheer is disgusting. Bernie Sanders can deliver more policy in two sentences than Scheer and his idiots did in an entire campaign.
    As I have mentioned recently in this and other posts, as long as the Liberals continue to not call out the tory lies, they will enter the lexicon of urban myths that continue to be the only tool that the cons have.

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