On a day of high drama, both the prime minister and opposition leader were ready to square off. Erin O’Toole led off, and based on a torqued CBC story, accused the government of having political interference in judicial appointments. Justin Trudeau responded that they reformed the process when they formed government, and that they we focusing diverse, merit-based appointments after the Conservatives politicised the process.  O’Toole switched to a French to repeat the question, and got much the same answer. O’Toole was back to English to intimate that the vacancies in Atlantic judicial vacancies must be because they can’t find enough Liberal donors in the region, and Trudeau responded that they appointed the first Supreme Court of Canada justice from Newfoundland and Labrador, and all of their appointments were made based on merit. O’Toole changed tacks and blustered about the WE Imbroglio and got a reminder about the work they were doing. O’Toole intimated that the government was protecting a powerful name under all of the redactions in the WE documents, to which Trudeau stated that tomorrow would be a vote as to whether Parliament still has confidence in the government. Yves-François Blanchet was up for the Bloc and point blank asked if there would be an election, and Trudeau insisted they were focusing on Canadians. When Blanchet tried again, Trudeau said the Bloc has been the ones clamouring for an election, whereas he would rather they work together to deliver for Canadians. Alexandre Boulerice led off for the NDP, and he too worried about the threat of an election in the middle of a pandemic, to which Trudeau reminded him that they proposed their own committee on pandemic spending, and he would rather they work together. Charlie Angus was up next, and somewhat ironically said the government was behaving immaturely, to which Trudeau reminded him that the Conservative motion clearly expressed a loss of confidence in the government. 

O’Toole intimate the government is hiding some powerful name under redactions. Trudeau says tomorrow will be a vote as to whether the government still has the confidence of Parliament. #QP pic.twitter.com/ENy2QRdrm2

— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) October 20, 2020

Round two, and Candice Bergen called the prime minister a bully (Rodriguez: We proposed an important committee for important work, while the Conservative are trying to jam the government), Pierre Poilievre tried to rationalise their proposal for a single committee, lest the government have something to hide (Rodriguez: We proposed a serious committee but your best idea was an ultra-partisan committee that wants to paralyse government; Quoted Poilievre from his days in government regarding redactions at that time), and Richard Martel wondered why WE Charity was chosen after all (Rodriguez: Your party is proposing an ultra-partisan motion). Blanchet was back up, and accused the prime minister of losing a bluff around an election (Rodriguez: For the past month, you have been demanding an election whereas we are testing confidence), and Blanchet roundly declared he didn’t have confidence in the government (Rodriguez: You are being irresponsible). Michael Barrett and Gérard Deltell demanded the “cover-up” end (Rodriguez: The decision to reveal is made by non-partisan public servants), and Deltell returned to the question of judicial appointments (Lametti: We put in place measures to ensure the appointments reflect quality and diversity, and I have never been pressured to any candidate, and decisions are mine alone). Gord Johns accused the government of government of ignoring the Mi’kmaq (Jordan: We are having nation-to-nation discussions), and Alistair MacGregor made his own swipe at judicial appointments (Lametti: Same answer as before).

Round three saw questions on people not being able to travel to dying loved ones (Hajdu: We take our responsibility to control the importation of the virus seriously), concerns about fraud that people can’t get ahold of CRA about (Lebouthillier: Our systems are in high demand, but we are working on this), judicial appointments (Lametti: We have a robust, non-partisan process), BC ferries not allowing people to stay in their cars (Garneau: This is an issue of marine safety), rapid testing at the border (Hajdu: We are researching this now), farmers getting support payments (Ng: We will announce a new process for this shortly because we are still working with the banks), redacted WE documents (Rodriguez: You’re free to ask about anything else, but your party put forward that irresponsible motion), FedNor funding to a company with a mailing address in Sault Ste. Marie when their business is elsewhere (Joly: We have been investing in Northern Ontario to create jobs), the rapid housing initiative (Hussen: We are proud of our response), and the need for a rights recognition framework for First Nations (Lametti: The coming legislation on UNDRIP will be a first step).

Conservative MP @KerryLynneFindl said she too, is sick of talking about WE, would rather ask questions about small business, etc…. before pivoting to a WE question. In response @pablorodriguez basically said if you're tired of talking about it, stop talking about it.

— Rachel Aiello (@rachaiello) October 20, 2020

Overall, it was a somewhat frustrating day because the news story about judicial appointments was torqued beyond all recognition, and that made the questions around it even more ludicrous than they usually. Justin Trudeau’s responses around it were middling and full of back-patting, which is not surprising, and it was great that David Lametti was more forceful in his responses, but it would have been great if someone could have mentioned the accountability part that the news story omitted. And then there was the chest thumping/dick measuring around the demands for the special committee and the fact that the government is treating it as a matter of confidence. Because calling something an “anti-corruption committee” or the watered-down “committee to investigate allegations of misappropriated funds” is essentially saying that you don’t have confidence in the government, so the government is of course going to call them out on it and force them to put their money where their mouths are. O’Toole has been talking big, and now Trudeau is calling him out on it. The Bloc are also talking big, and this is putting the NDP in a bind, because they certainly don’t want to go to an election, but they need to thread the needle of not looking like they’re propping up a government while also trying to look like they’re extracting promises that they can pat themselves on the back for (when they’ve been pushing on an open door the whole time). In the meantime, we’ll have one more big testosterone-fuelled QP tomorrow before the vote, and we’ll see who winds up backing down before then, because no, we’re not actually going to go to an election.

I recently wrote about the judicial appointment process for @CBAnatmag: https://t.co/tMYbeLLO4X

— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) October 20, 2020

Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to Eric Melillo for a tailored navy suit with a crisp white shirt and a pink tie, and to Michelle Rempel Garner for a three-quarter-sleeved blue dress with a v-neck. Style citations go out to Heather McPherson for a somewhat dowdy black dress with white polka dots across it, and to Alain Therrien for a navy jacket with a light blue shirt, grey slacks, and a navy tie.