QP: In the shadow of the Emergencies Act

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While talk of the imminent imposition of the Emergencies Act swirled, the prime minister was in his office but not in the Chamber for QP. Candice Bergen led off, script in front of her, and quoted Section 16 of the Emergencies Act to ask if he considers the blockades a threat to national security, to which Marco Mendicino quoted the arrests on Coutts this morning for weapons before listing supports the federal government provided to end the blockades. Bergen demanded the government agree with their Supply Day motion to capitulate to the occupiers, and Bill Blair railed about the illegal occupations. Bergen called capitulation “not unreasonable,” and demanded “hope and optimism” for Canadians. Mark Holland said that the Conservatives squandered all attempts at de-escalation, citing their various MPs who have supported it. Luc Berthold took over in French, and repeated the “division and stigmatisation” line before wondering how the government could possibly consider emergency measures. Mendicino repeated his previous answer. Berthold said that nobody wanted to see the army in the streets before demanding capitulation, and Holland repeated his condemnation of irresponsible Conservative statements in support of the occupations.

For the Bloc, Alain Therrien wanted to know how the prime minister planned to use emergency powers, and demanded a detailed plan today. Mendicino read about the support the federal government has offered. Therrien was not satisfied, but Mendicino simply repeated his response.

Peter Julian led for the NDP, and wondered why the prime minister didn’t “show leadership” 18 days ago—as though there were federal powers he could deploy (there weren’t). Bill Blair denounced the occupations and blockades, and stated that they did provide support where requested. Alexandre Boulerice took over in French to lament the same, and Mendicino repeated the script about supports given.

Round two, and Dominique Vien demanded capitulation to the occupiers (Duclos: We have a plan driven by science and we have one of the lowest death rates and stronger economic growth), Warren Steinley demanded that the government would not advance an interprovincial vaccination mandate for truckers (Alghabra: We will always follow public health advice; Can you point to a single scientist who says the pandemic is over?), and Michelle Rempel Garner insisted that the federal government made the situation of the occupations and blockades worse and done nothing to help (Mendicino: I want to thank the members of the RCMP who assisted with the Ambassador Bridge, and your leader inflamed the situation by trying to politicise these occupations; Holland: It isn’t responsible leadership to support illegal activities).

Kristina Michaud praised the Ottawa residents who took charge to blockade occupiers, blaming federal failure (Mendicino: We have supported police services since the beginning), and demanded a concrete plan if they use the Emergencies Act (Mendicino: Police services were deployed in three situations when asked).

Marilyn Gladu complained that the cross-border bridge in her riding was being impacted and demanded capitulation to the occupiers (Mendicino: We have been supporting local law enforcement), Randy Hoback demanded capitulation (Duclos: I don’t have the power to give an end date to the pandemic), Richard Bragdon demanded capitulation as mandates were “traumatising” (Holland: Condemn the increasingly incendiary tactics by the occupiers).

Leah Gazan complained that the government had not eliminated violence against Indigenous women and girls (Miller: We have invested $2 billion in the pathway, and we are working toward the calls to action), and Lori Idlout repeated the complaint with a focus on Inuit women (Miller: I have been working with the advocates in Nunavut).

Round three saw questions on a fisheries quota decision (Murray: We are facing a crisis on salmon, and salmon feed on herring, which are precarious, so we took action), line items in the upcoming budget go rebuild BC after the floods (Blair: We are working with the BC government), an off-shore oil and gas project in Newfoundland and Labrador (Wilkinson: The environmental assessment is ongoing), faster compensations for seniors affected by GIS clawbacks (Khera: We will deliver a one-time payment), Afghan interpreters not being evacuated before the fall of Kabul (Fraser: We did what we could during the emergency situation, and more than 7500 have arrived; the politicisation of this is shocking, when your party campaigned on bringing over zero Afghan refugees), direction and control regulations for foreign assistance charities (Lebouthillier: The CRA ensures compliance with the rules; We are working to address the concerns of Muslim communities), emergency funds for seniors at risk (Khera: The payments will be released ahead of schedule, as soon as April 19th), and the double standard of how Indigenous and Black protesters are treated by police compared to white occupiers (Mendicino: We expect law enforcement to do their jobs, and yay RCMP for assisting with the Ambassador Bridge).

Overall, the day was only raucous in points, mostly when the Liberals insisted that they were following the science—though I will give props to Omar Alghabra for retorting that no scientist has said that the pandemic is over. So that was something. Otherwise, we got mostly a collection of script recitations on the measures that the government had engaged in to support local police with these occupations and blockades, and would not give any details as to what the forthcoming Emergencies Act declaration would entail. Otherwise, it remains quite something to see the Conservatives continue to call for capitulation to the demands from those occupiers, and trying to claim that they were “reasonable.” There seems to be absolutely no self-awareness that capitulating to hostage takers just means they will continue to take more hostages, and that is utterly boggling to me.

Sartorial speaking, snaps go out to Mélanie Joly for a light blue and black jacket over a black top and slacks, and to James Bezan for a dark grey suit with a light purple shirt and a dark purple tie. Style citations go out to Adam van Koeverden for a grey jacket with a light blue shirt, red tartan tie and tan slacks, and to Anna Roberts for a black sweater with multi-coloured hearts on it with black slacks.

2 thoughts on “QP: In the shadow of the Emergencies Act”

  1. Hey, sartorial snaps is back! The pandemic must be nearly over! Do I have to go back and read all the second pages I’ve been skipping?

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