While Justin Trudeau remains in isolation, and doing virtual meetings that were not QP, his deputy was in attendance. It was also Candice Bergen’s first day as interim Conservative leader, so we would see what the tone would be like. Bergen led off, to much applause, and with her script in front of her, she demanded that the government present a plan to “work with” the grifter occupation outside, and worried that vaccine mandates for interprovincial travel was “not helpful.” Chrystia Freeland first congratulated Bergen on her appointment, and thanked O’Toole for his public service, and then condemned the desecration and hate symbols on display by the protesters. Bergen said she wanted to see an olive branch to the grifters, and Freeland reminded her about Greg Fergus’ speech about how Black people feel when they see Confederate flags outside, and why all members have an obligation to speak put against a movement that tolerates it. Bergen accused Freeland of gaslighting, and demanded that olive branch, and Freeland repeated the obligation to speak out, even if these people are friends. Bergen then switched to an overwrought question on inflation, and Freeland recited that the government is standing up for Canadians. Gérard Deltell took over to demand spending be reigned in to control inflation, and Freeland reminded him that this is a global issue.

When Freeland states that MPs should all speak out against a movement that tolerates symbols like Confederate flag, Bergen accuses her of gaslighting, then demands an “olive branch” to the grifter occupation. #QP

— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) February 3, 2022

https://twitter.com/StephanieCarvin/status/1489327027341733896

Alain Therrien led for the Bloc, and he demanded higher health transfers to the provinces, to which Freeland reminded him that the federal government provided eight out of every ten pandemic aid dollars, and pitched for support for Bill C-8 on additional aid measures. Therrien repeated the demand for increased transfers, and Freeland repeated her response. 

Jagmeet Singh appeared by video, and asked why Black and Indigenous people are treated differently when they protest—which is not really the responsibility of the federal government. Freeland solemnly repeated the the plea to pay attention to Fergus’ speech. Singh repeated the question in French, and got the same answer. 

Round two, and Raquel Dancho complained about housing prices (Hussen: We brought federal leadership back into the housing sector, and here are the measures we have implemented, which you voted against; Freeland: You proposed even higher spending than we did), Richard Martel made the ridiculous suggestion that deficits are fuelling inflation (Freeland: You are continuing to peddle an misleading narrative, and our economy has proved resilient; Here are higher inflation numbers in other countries), and Blake Richards repeated the same narrative (Freeland: You voted against lockdown supports for Canadians), and pitched “environmentally friendly” Canadian oil (Wilkinson: We are working to create jobs in the energy sector).

Dancho picks up the ludicrous suggestion that government spending has driven up housing prices.
This is utterly insane. #QP

— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) February 3, 2022

Therrien was back up to complain that the federal government hasn’t done anything to remove the grifter occupation (Mendicino: The Ottawa Police Service is the force of jurisdiction, and the RCMP will assist if asked), and Kristina Michaud demanded federal action (Mendicino: We need to respect processes).

Alain Rayes returned to the topic of inflation and demanded a “concrete action plan”—like wage and price controls? (Freeland: Here is good news about the economy, like these GDP numbers; maybe you don’t like numbers and data because of the clear contrast it shows between this recovery and the recovery from the 2008 recession; Gould: We have taken concrete actions like the Canada Child Benefit and the national childcare plan).

Gord Johns demanded support for his bill to decriminalise drug use (Bennett: The Public Prosecution Service has already put out guidance to find alternate means than prosecuting simple possession), and Don Davies demanded an increase of health transfers (Duclos: I had a meeting with provincial counterparts about health human resources).

Round three saw yet more questions on inflation (Freeland: You keep talking down the economy; You talk about public debt charges, it’s the lowest in 100 years), feed shortage in Western Canada (Bibeau: We are working with provinces to help farmers and ranchers with the historic drought this summer), PHAC using publicly available mobile data (Duclos: We have ensured privacy protection throughout), monetary policy (Freeland: Inflation is a global challenge but here are things we are doing with CCB and climate incentives; our childcare plan is helping families), a dubious study on lockdowns (Duclos: The enemy is COVID, not vaccinations), inflation again (Freeland: We are helping Canadians), demanding a national school meal programme (Gould: We agree no children should go hungry so we need to work with stakeholders together), and a mine on Baffin Island that appears to be expanding without a permit (Jones: There is a process in the Nunavut Agreement).

Overall, it was an interesting change of tone today, where both Candice Bergen and Chrystia Freeland had their exchanges in calm, measured tones, so that Bergen’s frankly insane demands that the government meet with the grifters whose goal is the removal of democracy almost was made to sound reasonable when it wasn’t delivered with much of the usual bombast by which she likes to engage in. If anyone else was trying bombast or overly dramatic delivery, Freeland pretty much shut it all down with calm, slow, measured responses (even if most of those responses were her canned responses of happy, clappy talking points rather than harder facts to counter disinformation). I will say that Freeland did have a fairly strong denunciation of the extremist elements of the grifter occupation, talking about how hate symbols are tolerated, and why they need to be challenged, even if these people are considered “friends,” which was probably the most pointed criticism lobbed at Bergen and the Conservatives. I would like to see more of this kind of exchange going forward.

Otherwise, we were back to interminable questions on inflation, where Freeland didn’t do as well. Just recite the causes of inflation from Statistics Canada’s CPI report. Recite the causes of housing inflation as being a supply issue because municipalities have bowed to NIMBY elements who refuse to allow density. Don’t just pat yourselves on the back for housing investment that is sitting on the table because Vancouver city council can’t get their acts together. It’s not blame—it’s putting facts on the table. I fail to see why this government is unable to do that very basic thing.

Sartorial speaking, snaps go out to John Williamson for a navy suit with subtle stripes with a pink shirt and navy tie, and to Chrystia Freeland for her short-sleeved black dress. Style citations go out to Marilyn Gladu for an ill-fitting navy suit with rolled sleeves and a black top, and to Gerald Soroka for a taupe suit with a dark blue shirt and a grey and blue tie.