QP: Another rail disruption sets the narrative

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Monday back from March Break, and none of the party leaders were present, nor was the Speaker, leaving his deputy, Chris d’Entremont, in the big chair instead. Luc Berthold led off in French, a script in front of him, demanding a resolution to the CP Rail strike/lockout, given how much economic damage it could cause. Seamus O’Regan insisted that they had confidence that the parties could reach a negotiated solution. Berthold tried again, got the same answer, and on a third question, Berthold raised inflation and wanted agreement on their “solution” on a GST break on gasoline and diesel, but O’Regan repeated his answer. Marilyn Gladu took over in English to demand a resolution to the CP Rail dispute, and O’Regan gave his same response about a negotiated solution in English. On another round of the same, O’Regan noted that he was in Calgary and both sides were still at the table, and they were counting on a negotiated solution. 

Alain Therrien led for the Bloc, and asked about federally-chartered flights for Ukrainian refugees, for which Sean Fraser said they were prioritising Ukrainian applications, and they were working to facilitate faster arrivals. Therrien insisted this was not fast enough, and Fraser insisted he was working on getting as many people here as fast as possible.

Daniel Blaikie rose for the NDP, and after raising them CP Rail dispute, went into some party bromides about reducing the cost of living and making the wealthy pay. Randy Boissonnault listed some of the government’s affordability measures. Niki Ashton took over to demand that the rich be taxed to “provide relief” for Canadians (without any particular follow-through on that logic), and Boissonnault reminded her that they voted against the government’s bill to raise taxes on the one percent.

Round two, and Ed Fast demanded a plan to fight inflation and the budget date (Boissonnault: Here are our measures you voted against), Matt Jeneroux accused the government of doubling housing prices (Hussen: We have a number of programmes on offer, but you vote against them) and CMHC’s bonuses (Hussen: No government is in charge of compensation of independent Crown Corporations), and Dan Albas repeated the same nonsense question about the CMHC’s bonuses (Hussen: Same answer).

Kristina Michaud worried about armed assaults in Montreal (Damoff: We need to address social conditions that lead youth to enter gangs, and we have programmes to invest in communities), and worried about illegal firearms getting into the country (Damoff: This requires a comprehensive and effective strategy, and one of the actions is to ban assault-style firearms that will have a mandatory buy-back programme).

Alain Rayes worried about gasoline prices (Boissonnault: Global prices are going up in part because of the war in Ukraine, and we have other affordability measures), Lianne Rood floated a GST holiday on gasoline and diesel (Boissonnault: Even if we implemented your idea, there is no guarantee it would turn to relief at the pumps), Dan Mazier worried about rural Canadian gas prices (Boissonnault: You keep talking down the economy).

Taylor Bachrach worried about a potential privatisation of passenger rail (Alghabra: We are moving forward in high-frequency rail), and Jenny Kwan worried that affordable housing programmes wind up with prices above market rent (Hussen: There are a number of different programmes based on needs in different parts of the housing spectrum, and that particular programme has led to tens of thousands of units of new rental housing).

Round three saw questions on lethal aid for Ukraine (May: We have given over $100 million in military aid and are seeking new ways to help; We won’t give details about transit), Joly’s comments on “convening” as insulting veterans (Oliphant: We support the men and women in uniform today and past, and we have supported the people in Afghanistan, Syria, and have trained military personnel in Ukraine; Your government reduced defence spending to the lowest in sixty years), the CP Rail disruption (O’Regan: We have worked to find solutions), ending federal vaccine mandates (Duclos: We lifted the pre-entry test requirement at the border; Vaccines saved 400,000 lives), carbon prices rising in April (Guilbeault: Carbon price increases come with higher rebates in most jurisdictions), freight costs in Saskatchewan (Boissonnault: We are focused on affordability), properly enforcing sanctions (Oliphant: We are using every economic tool we can to ensure we punish and suffocate Russia), and potentially privatised passenger rail (Alghabra: We are not privatising VIA, and we are inviting potential partners to do this project right).

Overall, it was a fairly rowdy day, which was a bit unusual for there not having been any leaders present. The Deputy Speaker, Chris d’Entremont, was trying to use humour to calm the Chamber a few times, for what good it does. The Conservatives were trying to make hay of the CP Rail dispute, but none of the other parties were necessarily biting with their demands for back-to-work legislation, so I wouldn’t expect any sign of that just yet. It was very much a day where there was very little overlap between parties on questions either, which is somewhat unusual.  Aside from the rail dispute and the off-side questions on CHMC compensation, the Conservatives were very eager once again to demand all federally-mandated public health restrictions be lifted, because apparently the pandemic is over. Erm, except it’s not.

It should also be noted that with the mask mandates lifted in Ontario, the decision by the House of Commons was to “strongly encourage” MPs to keep their masks on in the Chamber, and most did, with the exception of a few Conservatives, mostly in the back benches. Because of course.

Sartorial speaking, snaps go out to Tom Kmiec for a medium-blue three-piece suit with a white shirt and a blue and yellow-striped tie, and to Marci Ien for a cream suit jacket with a white top and a black skinny tie. Style citations go out to Kristina Michaud for a puffy-sleeved black dress with white and gold florals, and to Ryan Williams for a blue suit with a light blue shirt and tie under a navy sweater. Dishonourable mention goes out to Soraya Martinez Ferrada for a yellow jacket over a black top and slacks, and to Majid Jowhari for a black suit with a white shirt and a yellow and black striped tie and pocket square.