Roundup: The curious case of Will Amos

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It was the end of Question Period when Bloc MP Claude DeBellefeuille raised a point of order, asking the Speaker to remind MPs that there is a dress code, citing that she had seen a male MP in a state of undress – which came across through the interpretation as “shirtless,” but as it turns out was much more – and she managed to do this without naming who it was, or offering too much description other than he apparently has a very good physique, and all with a straight face. The Speaker thanked her for the intervention and gave his usual gentle chiding. Because said MP’s mic was not activated, no one public-facing saw who it was, especially not in the Chamber. MPs who are on Zoom, however, have a different view than the rest of us get, and they could see it.

Not long after, someone leaked a minimally censored screenshot to Brian Lilley, who put it out over Twitter, and in short order it was determined that this was Liberal MP Will Amos, and he was more than shirtless. Amos made an apology, citing that he had just come from “jogging,” and didn’t realize his camera was on – but I know this has raised more questions because MPs need special log-ins and passwords in order to even log into their special Zoom, so why he would have done so before he had changed is…dubious. (It has also been questioned why he would have gone jogging mid-day when there are no showers in his Precinct office building). In any case, Amos has learned a very valuable lesson.

A bigger issue here, however, is the screenshot itself. MPs aren’t allowed to take photos in the Chamber, and it has been determined that screenshots of their Zoom screens follow under the same rules. It would have almost certainly been an MP who took the screenshot in order to leak to Lilley, which is a violation of House rules, and arguably, Amos’ privileges. It’s also likely that it was a Conservative MP who leaked said photo, given that they leaked it to Lilley. (There are additional issues around the non-consensual sharing of such images, and whether they would have been so quick to do so if it was a woman). I suspect that if Amos were to pursue the matter as a breach of his privileges, this could turn into a Thing that the Procedure and House Affairs Committee will likely have to deal with. It should also be yet another wake-up call for MPs about their collective behaviour over the course of this whole Hybrid Parliament, and why they are letting their standards slide. It probably wouldn’t hurt for the Speaker to actually lay down the law for a change rather than the constant gentle chidings that do absolutely nothing to change behaviour, but here we are.

Good reads:

  • Health Canada says that the AstraZeneca vaccine is still very safe, with the risk of rare blood clots at around four in a million.
  • Here is what we know about the P.1 variant of COVID, which was first identified in Brazil, and which is now spreading in BC.
  • Anita Anand says that the government’s commitment to vaccine procurement is around $8 billion, and she’s still pushing for Johnson & Johnson doses.
  • The government has created a one-time special immigration programme to grant 90,000 spots for recent international graduates and temporary foreign workers.
  • Dominic LeBlanc says that we should assume that the next election – whenever it happens – will be under increased threat by foreign actors.
  • While Conservatives oppose the UNDRIP bill fearing resource project vetoes, some First Nations say the bill doesn’t go far enough.
  • The Commons passed a unanimous consent motion to back the Halifax Security Forum if it chooses to give an award to Taiwan’s president.
  • The Bloc have managed to water down a parliamentary motion of condolence to the Queen for the death of Prince Philip in order for it to get unanimous consent.
  • Erin O’Toole says all Conservatives will get a free vote on the bill to ban sex-selection abortions, citing that it is a “matter of conscience.”
  • The internal strife in the Green Party over allegations of racism by senior party officials is rolling along with fresh internal emails and condemnations.
  • A former employee of now-former Liberal MP Yasmin Ratansi is suing her for $2 million for abusive workplace behaviour.
  • Here’s a look into how BC botched its second and third waves, after relative success in the first, which shows it wasn’t just conservative premiers who failed.
  • Kady O’Malley’s Process Nerd column walks through Elections Canada’s proposed new guidelines on campaign events, and what will and will not be allowed.
  • Susan Delacourt looks at the CNN report on Canada’s vaccinations and suggests we preferred the era where Trump was in charge so that we could be smug.
  • Paul Wells suggests that Erin O’Toole would be wise to adopt the Liberals’ carbon price with tweaks in order to win voters – but suspects he won’t.
  • Robert Hiltz points out that process is what is most often used to obscure transparency and accountability in our government.
  • Hiltz also enumerates the failures of federalism in the current crisis, and calls for a rethink of how it works, before the next crisis hits us.
  • Colby Cosh is righteously indignant that the Alberta Speaker violated his neutrality in signing onto an anti-lockdown letter, and gets away with a mere apology.

Odds and ends:

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4 thoughts on “Roundup: The curious case of Will Amos”

  1. The trouble is in this world today regarding everything especially this pandemic is that most folks are self-centred so if something is not affecting themselves directly they shouldn’t be concerned of how their actions could adversely affect others. If governments enacted tougher regulations ie more strict lock downs to stamp out this pandemic instead of these half baked efforts were are getting now which really don’t do a whole lot. Unfortunately if these actions were taken the hue and cry would be deafening and it would be political suicide so that is why were getting what we are getting. This is in response to the story about BC’s failures regarding waves two and three.

  2. Well, at least PROC will have the opportunity to deal with something actually meaningful, instead of trying to make last summer’s prorogation into a “scandal.” Though I’m not optimistic they’ll let go of that particular bone, even though the whole country, save for a cohort of Very Online partisan obsessives, has moved on from WeGhazi a long time ago.

    Most of the country moved on from Electoral Reeeeefoooorm too, and yet that one particular NDP idiot intends to bring forward a motion that would “force” Trudeau to strike a citizens’ assembly on the matter. When your only shot at forming government because nobody wants you in charge otherwise, is to upend the entire system and muscle your way into a coalition by brute force just to own the Libs, you need to rethink your life, which the NDP clearly does. Cue the NDP echoing Trump, “Trudeau (Hillary/Biden) rigged the election!”

  4. What’s your take on Robert Hiltz’s federalism column? Is the problem less with federalism than ineptitude at the provincial level, particularly since the Atlantic provinces have done so much better at managing the pandemic?

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