Roundup: MPs and their “new normal”

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Over the weekend, we saw a few pieces that were attempting to put the House of Commons’ current situation into context, both along with how some provinces are handling their own situations in the current pandemic context, but also just getting a bit of a sense from MPs themselves. There is a sense that these hybrid committee meetings are “better than nothing,” with some of those MPs acknowledging that actual in-person sittings are better for the sheer fact that one can often talk to a minister about an important file just by showing up, or that a lot of the real work gets done in the lobbies and corridors and not in the chamber itself, which is great to see – it’s not just about the performative questions, though that is what the government and its allies have reduced the Commons to, with no real appreciation for the lack of oversight for the massive spending being pushed through.

That said, we also need to be very wary of those who will try to use this opportunity to push their agendas – those who go on about how the “old normal” wasn’t working in Parliament, and hey, isn’t this an opportunity to push through reforms that they couldn’t before. The problem is that a lot of those proposed reforms were simply bad and would make the House of Commons a far worse place, because they completely misunderstood what the problems were and continue to be. Nevertheless, we’re going to see many attempts by some of those same MPs to not let a good crisis go to waste, so you can bet there will be no shortage of these proposals going forward.

Meanwhile, with all of the attention on the protests in the US (and a few in Canada as well), here was a worthwhile thread from social development minister Ahmed Hussen:

Good reads:

  • The government is redirecting tens of millions of dollars to promote in-Canada tourism, which seems awfully premature given the state of the pandemic.
  • Environment Canada’s investigation and enforcement of pollution violations has decreased over the past five years. (This is done arm’s length from government).
  • It looks like Transport Canada is officially the first federal department to move to “telework by default.”
  • The Canadian Transportation Agency, which handles travellers’ complaints, has seen its caseload explode 23-fold since new rules came into place.
  • Here is a look at how courts are starting to adapt to the “new normal” in these pandemic times.
  • In advance of the Security Council seat vote, the UN has adopted new voting procedures.
  • Here’s a profile of the NDP’s lone Alberta MP, Heather McPherson.
  • Former Bloc leader Michel Gauthier died of lung cancer over the weekend.

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One thought on “Roundup: MPs and their “new normal””

  1. I’m tired of the relentless bad-faith finger-pointing “oh but you wore blackface, neener neener neener” meme from the cons, which is just an excuse not to do anything. PMJT has apologized, repeatedly and sincerely. He doesn’t need to self-flagellate for the rest of his life and the worst thing he could do is keep silent. His actions and policies since are a better reflection on who he is. The cons just don’t want to admit that people are capable of change, because they don’t *want* to be capable of change. So much for the party of personal responsibility.

    Which party wanted to sic the tanks on the indigenous railway blockaders, while PMJT called for a peaceful dialogue even as tensions were escalating and the protests were being hijacked by violent sh- disturbers (just like the U.S. ones are now)? Which party’s current leadership candidate accused the federal public health director, who is Asian, of having dual allegiances with the PRC? Which party’s “zombie” leader had Rebel personalities running his campaign, gave a pep talk to the yellow vests, and ran Faith Goldy’s gal pal as a candidate? Which party is the party of barbaric practices hotlines and “old-stock” dog-whistling? Perhaps none of the parties have been stellar on the FN file, but which party was it whose prime minister said FN concerns were not on his radar?

    Literally no one GAF about Aladdingate anymore. It’s just a deflection by the Reform Republicans to avoid introspection as to why they’re right in line with the Bull Connor wannabe in orangeface. Black people are being *lynched* in Trump’s Amerika and all these whiners do is complain that PMJT had a cringey cosplay habit in college. I don’t really care, do U?

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