While the prime minister was on the Hill and just gave a press conference to announce that vaccines would likely be arriving in a week following Health Canada approval, neither he nor his deputy were at QP. Candice Bergen led off, giving selective information about vaccination roll-outs in other countries, and then said that the announced first batch of the Pfizer vaccine wouldn’t be enough. Anita Anand insisted that this was a wonderful day, and that the light at the end of the tunnel was clear. Bergen then moved to the PornHub story in the New York Times, saying he was allowing rape and sexual exploitation to happen in his own backyard, to which David Lametti reminded her that there are laws in place, including for Internet service providers, and that they were taking this seriously. Bergen insisted that there has been no action, as though there was a magic wand that was not being used, and Lametti repeated his points before declaring his pride in the Digital Charter. Stephanie Kusie then took over in and French to demand refunds for airline consumers, to which Chris Bittle stated clearly that there would be no sector-specific aid without refunds. Kusie worried that any plan would bar executive compensation, and Bittle reiterate the importance of ensuring refunds. Claude DeBellefeuille led for the Bloc to demand increased health transfers with no strings attached, to which Patty Hajdu read in halting French about how much the federal government had transferred to the provinces since the pandemic began. DeBellefeuille was not mollified, and repeated her demand, for which Hajdu read another set of talking points. Jenny Kwan demanded more safe places for women in Vancouver’s downtown east side, to which Maryam Monsef said that she has been working with the advocates in the area. Leah Gazan demanded action on the report from the MMIW inquiry, to which Carolyn Bennett assured her that they were working on this with a new $751 million funding commitment.

Round two, and Michelle Rempel Garner spun a stranger conspiracy theory that the first vaccine shipment was intended simply to silence critics without a real plan in place (Anand: We have procured the best portfolio in the world, and they will begin rolling out this month), Lianne Rood worried about carbon tax costs for farmers (Bibeau: We are aware of our producers’ needs and have provided exemptions for fuels on farms), and Shannon Stubbs demanded action on combatting sexual harassment in the RCMP (Blair: We are committed to ensuring a workplace free of harassment, and we take this responsibility seriously). Louise Chabot worried that new mothers are ineligible for certain recovery benefits (Qualtrough: We have spent the past five years modernising EI, and we have parents a retroactive credit because of COVID), and how the system is not well-adapted for Quebec (Qualtrough: We have an agreement with the province, and we are working to resolve QPP recipient issues). Leona Alleslev demanded that a modernised Official Languages Act get tabled this week (Joly: We are protecting both official languages, while it was your government who cut services in French), and wanted more action on recruiting and retaining women in the Canadian Armed Forces (Sajjan: We have set a goal of 25 percent, and are working to get there, and then move to full parity). Niki Ashton demanded investment in publicly-owned vaccine production (Bains: We made significant investments in Canadian solutions), and Heather McPherson demanded wealth taxes instead of forcing self-employed people to pay back CERB payments (Fraser: We were there for low-income and middle-income Canadians, and your party voted against our tax increases on the wealthiest one percent).

Round three saw questions on the MMIW inquiry action plan (Bennett: Your government rejected this inquiry and we are making an effective plan), PornHub (Guilbeault: We are extremely concerned about the exploitation of vulnerable women and children, and we are developing new guidelines for web providers), contracts for Davie Shipyard (Anand: We have worked hard with Davie and will continue to do so), delays for approved immigrants coming to Canada this year (Mendicino: We are investing additional resources and leverage new technology), the UK trade deal (Ng: We got a deal that largely rolls over the terms of CETA), Communist China harassing people in Canada (Blair: Our security agencies are vigilant and investigating), support for Keystone XL (O’Regan: Our record in fighting climate change will help convince the Biden administration), rejected amendments to the assisted dying bill (Lametti: We consulted widely and have protections for the vulnerable that balance people’s freedoms; the legislative review is still part of our plan, and your plan is to delay and make people suffer), universal dental care — which is provincial jurisdiction (Hajdu: We have been working hard for pharmacare for those who have lost benefits), and online citizenship tests (Mendicino: We are working on new measures).

“Why don’t you care about children?” Rachael Harder yells as Guilbeault explains how Bill C-10 can deal with PornHub. #QP

— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) December 7, 2020

Overall, it was a rather quiet day, and my fellow journo who was up in the Gallery with me today remarked that it was like a Friday, though I would say there were more ministers answering. Were it a Friday, we would be graced with Darren Fisher’s incompetent reading of non-sequitur talking points instead of Patty Hajdu struggling though her French ones. I was a bit surprised that we didn’t see the Conservatives going harder on the vaccine file today with shifted goal posts, as Erin O’Toole laid out in his presser that morning, though it looks like many Conservatives – especially the socially conservative ones – are licking their chops over this PornHub story, as they have been on anti-Internet-porn crusades for a while, trying to get it declared a public health crisis, and so on. This is just more fodder for them to try and come at this and try to shame the prime minister in the process (and for those wondering, that New York Times piece had a lot of problems with it, not the least of which was instructing people on how to use specific searches to find the material in question).

Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to Blake Richards for a navy suit with a light blue shirt and purple tie, and to Rachel Bendayan for a navy suit with a light blue collared shirt. Style citations go out to Marie-Claude Bibeau for a bile-coloured turtleneck under a grey jacket with a windowpane pattern with black slacks, and to Brad Redekopp for a dark grey jacket with a navy shirt, black slacks, and a burnt orange tie.