Roundup: Virtual aggression at committee

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Prime minister Justin Trudeau began his daily presser a little earlier than usual, owing to the fact that the Commons’ Special Committee on COVID-19 was meeting at noon, and today, the announcement was for $252 million in aid for food producers and the agri-food sector – which he assured us was a “first step,” as the industry representatives have been asking for some $2.6 billion in aid. Some of this aid was for beef and hog producers to keep their animals longer, given that meat processing plants have faced outbreaks and been shut down; other funds were for the government to buy stocks of produce that is facing the risk of expiring, in the hopes that it can be distributed elsewhere. During the Q&A, when asked about news that there were eyewitnesses to the crash of the Canadian Forces Cyclone helicopter off the coast of Greece, Trudeau responded that the military has their protocols for notification that he respected.

And then there was the “virtual” Special Committee meeting, which was a decidedly less friendly tone than it had been last week. MPs asking questions were constantly interrupting ministers because they felt they were going too long (because talking points need to be recited), some MPs had signs up in their backgrounds which they wouldn’t have been able to get away with in a regular Commons sitting or committee meeting, and some MPs felt the need to lob personal insults as part of their questions – and the Chair said nothing of it. In fact, had they done so during QP, the other MPs in the chamber would have raised hell, and the Speaker would have been obliged to say something, if only a warning about inflammatory language. But because it’s “virtual” and there can be no heckling, some MPs are feeling emboldened. I suspect it’s also the kind of emboldened attitude that people have when they abuse customer service people over the phone because they don’t have to look them in the eye, and this goes directly to my warnings about the social contagion that will accompany any attempts to solidify “virtual sittings” of Parliament.

The other thing of note was that MPs were asking questions about things that were outside the ambit of the committee, which is supposed to be about the pandemic response. Questions about the assault rifle ban are not about pandemic response, and those should have been ruled out of order. As well, the thing that kept getting asked repeatedly during the hearing was the notion that the government should deny aid to companies who use legal tax havens, because they are “immoral.” It’s a bit galling for MPs to be calling on the government to deny aid to people who work for those companies, particularly since they are not engaging in illegal behaviour. The minister, Diane Lebouthillier, kept repeating that the CRA was investigating anyone using illegal tax avoidance, but wouldn’t call out that what was being demanded was problematic. The other reason why those demands are problematic is they keep saying “Demark did it!” without offering any kind of analysis of how Denmark’s tax system compares to Canada’s, particularly where tax havens are concerned. When Denmark introduced their 75 percent wage subsidy and people kept pointing to it, they ignored the list of caveats that accompanied it, which was vital context. But hey, parties need soundbites and clips for their social media, even now.

Good reads:

  • Canada has shifted its message in seeking a UN Security Council seat, saying that we need a voice at the table as the world makes post-pandemic plans.
  • The Bloc and the NDP have questions about the “grandfathering” provisions of the assault rifle ban, which may impact their decision to support future legislation.
  • There are calls for “universal long-term care” given the problems that the current pandemic has blown open, but it’s a complex jurisdictional question.
  • The Information Commissioner is calling on the government to send a strong message to civil servants about Access to Information during this crisis.
  • Here is a good Q&A on how supply chain disruptions are causing increases in prices for produce and other foods.
  • Coastal GasLink has been granted a loan by EDC, even though some Wet’suwet’en continue to oppose the pipeline going through their territory.
  • Jim Carr is undergoing stem-cell treatments for his rare blood cancer.
  • There has been some fallout from Peter MacKay’s anti-trans slam last week, but it’s not exactly clear-cut if O’Toole benefits from it.
  • Here’s a geographic analysis of the Conservative leadership race fundraising – though geography may not tell as much because of the point system being used.
  • Susan Delacourt sees the rising hard edge in the political discourse as “third quarter phenomenon,” which sets into people in isolation circumstances.
  • Heather Scoffield offers assurances that it’s just fine that the deficit is growing right now because the alternatives are worse in the long-term.
  • Colby Cosh offers some cautions as he looks at COVID-19 mortality data, and how we measure things which can give us particular answers if you read it that way.
  • My column looks at the strangely aggressive procedural moves that Senator Woo of the ISG is making in the Senate, and what it could signal.

Odds and ends:

Yesterday marked the 75th anniversary of Canada liberating the Netherlands at the end of the Second World War. A new Heritage Minute was produced to mark it.

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