Roundup: Bullying through a motion on a false promise

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Prime minister Justin Trudeau once again began his daily presser talking about the tragedy in Nova Scotia, and recounted some of his conversations with RCMP members and Senator Stan Kutcher (who not only represents the province but has a background in mental health). He then turned back to the global pandemic, noting that it has made inequalities more pronounced, and with charities spread thin trying to provide support, he announced that $350 million was being set aside as part of an emergency community support fund. He then announced that the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy would be available as of Monday, and starting today, a calculator would be available on the CRA website for employers to calculate what they would be able to apply for. He also talked about the kinds of contributions that the innovation superclusters have been making to the current situation, for a bit of good news. During the Q&A, Trudeau had more information about the reports of the two planes that returned from China empty that he wasn’t able to answer during QP on Monday, this time noting that because of the severe restrictions in China as for how long they were able to remain on the ground, while supply lines to the airports have been frustrated with checkpoints and delays, it forced them to take off empty for the time being. Trudeau also said that the promised gun control bill was nearly ready to be tabled before Parliament was suspended for the pandemic, but wouldn’t promise that it would be tabled before regular sittings resumed. As well, regarding that meat plant shut down because of an outbreak, Trudeau said they were trying to ensure domestic supply though it could affect prices.

Meanwhile, the Procedure and House Affairs committee was meeting (remotely), and we found out that the Clerk of the House of Commons says that there’s no way they’ll be able to facilitate any kind of “remote” sittings until mid-May at the earliest, and that he told the Government House Leader this before the government bullied through their motion on Monday about one in-person sitting a week and two-virtual ones. In other words, they knew that the virtual ones couldn’t happen, but they acted as though they were, so they can say “Oh dear, looks like we can’t hold those sessions,” and stick to the one in-person sitting per week at a giant waste of resources to keep flying MPs in and out for a single day, rather than at least having the three in-person sittings per week which was perfectly reasonable. And no, this isn’t saving any of the staff exposure, because they would need to be in the West Block whether the MPs were there in person or “virtually” (which will include some MPs in the Chamber). Add to that, they only have the capacity to run at maximum ten “virtual” committee meetings between the Commons and Senate in a week, as the government also likes to pretend that they’ve been trying to ensure that as much of Parliament is functional under the circumstances. That’s not true, and even their planned “accountability sessions” for the next month are not actual sittings, but “special committee” sessions, even though some MPs have tried to paint them otherwise. It’s been one big exercise in preening that only makes the Conservatives look like they were right.

The Queen

Just a quick note to add that yesterday was the Queen’s birthday in her natural capacity. The Queen of Canada’s official birthday isn’t until Victoria Day, for the record. But the Queen and Prince Charles did send condolences to Canada for the tragic deaths in Nova Scotia.

Good reads:

  • In Nova Scotia, the death toll from the shooting rampage on Sunday has risen to 23 (including the gunman) as more bodies were discovered over the 16 crime scenes.
  • Not surprisingly, the federal government has few tools available to help the provinces ramp up their testing – meaning it’s up to those provinces.
  • Urban Indigenous groups say they need more federal help than they’re getting.
  • The issue of keeping people out of prisons because of the pandemic continues to roll along, and it seems that the Crown prosecutors may be reluctant to cooperate.
  • There is a distinct possibility that the companies bidding for the new fighter jet replacement contract will ask for extensions because of the pandemic.
  • The federal government is still considering the kinds of regulations in France and Australia that force digital giants to compensate content publishers for ad revenues.
  • Here’s a look at why it’s not really feasible to turn unemployed Canadians loose on farms needing labour (which makes the case these foreign workers need more pay).
  • Some premiers are talking about plans to re-open their economies “within weeks,” which could be dicey because it could lead to another spike in infections.
  • Paul Wells has an excellent longread on pandemic preparation and the lack thereof, in part because of both human nature and the nature of government.
  • Kady O’Malley’s Process Nerd column looks at what the “accountability sessions” over the next few weeks are supposed to look like.
  • Colby Cosh examines what lessons can be learned about how COVID-19 spread aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
  • My column takes issue with those who don’t think Question Period is essential during these crisis times, and lays out the reason why we should stick with it.

Odds and ends:

Former Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull is taking shots at Trudeau in his autobiography (which some in Australia are calling a “work of fiction.”)

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One thought on “Roundup: Bullying through a motion on a false promise”

  1. I’m more interested in Trudeau’s eventual (second) memoir whenever it comes about (particularly for what he has to say about Trump), than whatever Turnbull has to say about Trudeau in his bargain-bin slam book. (What is it with these right-wing dudes and their obsession with his socks?)

    Julia Gillard’s likely has more parallels to his own anyway, especially in that the way she was treated by the nasty Murdoch media is depressingly similar to how Trudeau gets relentlessly bashed with negativity by Canada’s yellow press. (One paper in particular — the one founded by a rich convict, in which Turnbull’s excerpt was published — is, literally, yellow in its color scheme. Says it all, really, about the quality of their “journalism.”)

    But I doubt Trudeau even cares about Turnbull or Trump’s insults lobbed his way at all. He has more pressing concerns to deal with; plus, he is his father’s son, and while he won’t say it out loud, I’m sure he remembers what Pierre said when Richard Nixon resorted to the same kind of playground-bully name-calling: “I’ve been called worse things by better people.” Fuddle duddle!

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