Roundup: Singh gets named and ejected

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For his daily presser, prime minister Justin Trudeau announced something that was definitely not a reversal of previous assertions, stating that at fiscal “snapshot” would be released on July 8th – not an economic update, because it’s still too volatile to make any kind of projections, but a “snapshot” was just fine. And he had to explain that one was not like the other several times. He also announced new Health Canada approvals for manufacturers of testing materials and ventilators, and that they had extended a Fish and Seafood Opportunities Fund, and that Parks Canada would be gradually reopening camp sites, because some masochists in the country apparently can’t wait to go camping. During the Q&A, Trudeau pushed back over the Bloc’s assertion that he is “acting like a king,” saying that when opposition leaders complain that the prime minister acts like it’s a dictatorship when they don’t get their way undermines the strength of our democracy – and he’s not entirely wrong there, but the fact that he has been reluctant to fully recall parliament and hiding behind a deal he made with the NDP to keep it that way doesn’t do him any favours.

The coming confidence vote on the Estimates wasn’t going to the drama that some thought it might because the NDP had pretty much already pledged support after Jagmeet Singh walked back his tough talk on the CERB extension (for which he is still undeservedly taking credit), and lo, the Estimates did pass. But the drama wound up being with Jagmeet Singh, who had tried to move a unanimous motion about systemic racism in the RCMP, which was blocked by the Bloc, to which Singh called the Bloc’s House Leader a racist, and when called on it, admitted that he did so and refused to apologise for it. This created some drama, the Speaker had to be recalled (because the Commons had already resolved into Committee of the Whole), and Singh was named and forced to leave for unparliamentary behaviour. Normally when this happens – which is extremely rarely – said MP would head out to the microphone stand in the Foyer to say their piece, which is precisely why Speakers are reluctant to name MPs. Because of the pandemic, Singh couldn’t do that, and instead called a 5 PM press conference – guaranteed coverage on the 5 o’clock political shows – and repeated his calling the Bloc House Leader a racist, but in such a way that immediately a lot of voices started chirping that he made it sound like he was taking license to call anyone who disagrees with him a racist (which isn’t helpful guys, and you know it).

Of course, this also got the whole anti-civility gang on social media riled up, and yelling about why Singh became the story and not the Bloc. But that’s the thing about decorum – Singh made himself the spectacle, so that’s where the attention became, rather than him calling a press conference after the motion was denied and calling the Bloc to account at that point. (The Bloc, incidentally, defended their move by saying that the public safety committee was already studying the issue and that they should wait for their report). But seriously, decorum rules exist for a reason in Parliament, and it’s fairly inherent in the name, which is derived from the Old French parlement, meaning speaking or conference. Not becoming the spectacle would have probably put more pressure on the Bloc, but that isn’t how this played out, and because Singh repeated his accusation of racism at the press conference, where he doesn’t have parliamentary immunity, this could turn into a lawsuit, which will become an even bigger distraction from the point he was trying to make.

Good reads:

  • Canada lost its bid for a UN Security Council Seat, losing to Norway and Ireland on the first ballot.
  • The RCMP released their internal use-of-force database, showing that they drew their firearms on someone 5000 times in the past three years.
  • The Parliamentary Budget Officer says the government is $2 billion under their infrastructure spending targets, as some provinces drag their feet on approvals.
  • The Taxpayers Ombudsman says that CRA’s processes are “systematically oppressive” toward vulnerable populations. You don’t say!
  • The Conservative leadership race had its French debate, and it was mostly awful, the French painful, and O’Toole and MacKay accused each other of “tu m’a attacqué!”
  • Jason Kenney released his “Fair Deal” report, and it’s full of unconstitutional and impossible demands, designed solely to stoke embers of anger as a distraction.
  • Susan Delacourt looks at the government’s decision to legislate making Google and Facebook pay for news content, and the likely responses from the industry.
  • Kevin Carmichael makes some observations about Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem’s first appearance at Finance Committee, and what it signals.
  • Paul Wells takes on the narcissism inherent in Trudeau’s assumptions behind the UN Security Council seat quest, and provides a reality check on our foreign policy.

Odds and ends:

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3 thoughts on “Roundup: Singh gets named and ejected”

  1. Requiem for a security council seat:

    – They got in the race late. Did surprisingly well even considering that fact, but the other two countries were ahead of the game by a decade.

    – They’re in the wrong group. In the war between Western Europe and “others,” the mother continent is going to coalesce around itself and not “others.” This complication has been brought up before and needs to be fixed ASAP.

    – The fact that the biggest threats to global security comprise 60% of the permanent “security council” is itself a major indictment of the decay of this institution. The G7 minus one should replace it, thus making Canada a permanent member and not thugocracies like Russia, China or the USA. That they “defeated fascism” 75 years ago is immaterial if they’re violent authoritarians themselves.

    – Everything Trump touches dies. They might have done better and been able to spread more resources to other aspects of foreign policy, had they not been preoccupied with the asinine NAFTA war and a calamitous G7 in 2018. The world ended when the devil rode down his hotel escalator.

    – India ran unopposed. Another target on “Canada’s back” and a dynamic that will undoubtedly get frisky with China. Perhaps a blessing in disguise not to be dragged into that fray. In that case, may the Normegians and leprechauns live in interesting times.

    – U2 and Riverdance have SFA to do with policy. Then again, neither does Celine Dion. Which goes to show that this campaigning has descended into something of a FIFA/Olympics/Oscars style farce. Cheek-kissing and goodie bags delivered on the General Assembly floor was apparently de rigeur prior to Covid-19. Perhaps PMJT should be glad that Bono didn’t speak moistly on him.

    —

    I still hope that if PMJT wants to campaign for the SG position at some point in the future, this doesn’t put a kibosh on those prospects. But considering all the back scratching and back stabbing that goes on in this den of vipers, why would anyone want to referee a 192-member WWE Royal Rumble?

    Or, maybe he doesn’t want it after all and that’s just a meme. Rosie Barton asked him about a UN position being in his future in an end-of-year interview a few years ago, and he said he wants to be a teacher again when he’s done with politics someday. So who knows, but if so, who could blame him? At least he’d be dealing with well-behaved kids and not juvenile delinquents passing themselves off as adults.

    And after Singh and Blanchet/Therrien’s little slap fight yesterday, that condemnation of the immaturity he has to deal with on a daily basis goes for Parliament too. Superman might not get to address the General Assembly and then throw all the nukes into the sun, but as far as I’m concerned he deserves a quest for (personal) peace.

  2. Are the NDP calling on Alan Therrien to resign this seat? Have those political panel shows invited him on to respond yet?

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