QP: Appealing to the NDP Whip?

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While the prime minister was away, none of the other leaders were present either, though the deputy PM was attending virtually. Luc Berthold led off, and he decried Motion 11 on extending sitting hours, and wondered if the NDP were be whipped on the vote (which…isn’t really a question to the government, as much as they’re trying to be clever about there allegedly being a coalition). Kevin Lamoureux insisted this was simply about more hours for debate, which surely nobody could object to. (Note that there are things that can be objected to, but neither side will be reasonable in the discussion). Berthold then listed off some torqued versions of this government’s ethical lapses, and wondered if someone on the other side would say enough was enough, and Lamoureux dismissed this as mere personal attacks. Berthold demanded that the RCMP re-open the investigation into the Aga Khan vacation—never mind that they already concluded that there was no evidence—and Lamoureux dismissed it again as personal attacks instead of focusing on things that matter. James Bezan took over in English to demand an RCMP investigation, and Lamoureux insisted that this was simply character assassination. Bezan tried to pretend he was a prosecutor who had obtained a witness box confession, and Lamoureux deployed the “three leaders ago” quip.

Alain Therrien led for the Bloc, and he praised the police action over the weekend with the “bike rally” and how they didn’t need the Emergencies Act, and he wondered if it was necessary at all months ago. Marco Mendicino also praised the police’s actions, and said that the invoked the Emergencies Act at the time because it was needed. Therrien spun a version of events during the occupation that presumed more federal powers than exist, and Mendicino repeated that they needed the Act that time.

Peter Julian rose for the NDP, and in French, and he lamented that federal COVID sickness benefits were expiring, and Karina Gould appeared by video to say that they extended EI sickness benefits, which was not the same thing. Daniel Blaikie took over to add some sanctimony to the question, and demanded the benefits be extended, and Gould listed actions they have taken around sick days (for federally-regulated sectors) and EI modernisation.

Round two, and Larry Brock returned to playing prosecutor around the Aga Khan vacation (Lametti: You know as a former prosecutor that police need the prosecution services are independent from government), Frank Caputo asked the same question (Lamoureux: You are just focused on personal attacks and not helping Canadians), Dominique Vien demanded the Attorney General reopen the file (Lamoureux: No matter how many times you ask the question, the answer is still the same), Raquel Dancho returned to the insistence that there was no real threat that required the Emergencies Act (Mendicino: You know full well that the the Rideau centre was shut down, as were small businesses, and we invoked it because it was necessary and it worked), Rachael Thomas tried to cleverly construct a question to insist the government was engaged in a cover-up (Mendicino: It is dismaying that you downplay the severity of the emergency situation and here are some quotes to back it up), and Dane Lloyd asked if any staff members spoke to the judge before his appointment to the inquiry (Mendicino: I would encourage you to rethink your position).

Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe demanded the government turn over more immigration authorities to Quebec given that there are certain court cases related to it dragging on for 13 years (Lalonde: We are reducing backlogs and have worked with the province; Quebec already determines its immigration criteria including knowledge of French), and Louise Chabot demanded that the federal government turn over powers to Quebec for temporary foreign workers (Rodriguez: Quebec already has their own selection criteria and we have worked with them, while the Bloc just wants to create conflict).

Dan Albas insisted the federal government had no power to ban blind bidding for houses outside of making it a criminal offence (Martinez Ferrada: We are building a housing charter of rights which you should support), Richard Martel decried inflation (Freeland: At least you are admitting that inflation is a global phenomenon), and Ryan Williams insisted that military families can’t get housing (Anand: We are making investments in critical defence and infrastructure and will support families).

Bonita Zarrillo quoted the environment commissioner about the government not properly tracking the climate impacts of infrastructure (Guilbeault: We are doing things never seen before like nature-based solutions), and Niki Ashton asked about a First Nation affected by flooding including military support (Badawey: The Canadian Red Cross are working with the community to give them the assistance they need).

Round three saw questions on Canadian Forces members being drummed out for refusing vaccinations (Fortier: Having a vaccinate workforce makes the workforce safer; van Koeverden: As a doctor, you know that we are in a different place than we were two years ago), an alleged four million Canadians who can’t travel because they are not vaccinated (Alghabra: Governments are all grappling with doing the right thing, and we are slowly adjusting these measures; talking down public health measures is unnecessary), delays to temporary foreign workers (Lalonde: We processed nearly double the number of work permits as last year; Gould: As part of our solutions for the labour market, we are expanding the programme), delays to passport renewals (Gould: We hired more passport officers and they are working around the clock), alcohol excise taxes for the wine industry (Freeland: We will provide more than $100 million to wineries for supports, and we had a dispute with Australia that required the repeal of this exemption), lifting mandates (van Koeverden: The countries you list had higher death rates than we did), helping to care for ageing parents (Fisher: Here are affordability measures we have undertaken), a lawsuit related for a former Guantanamo Bay detainee (Mendicino: Canada condemns all forms of torture, and it’s inappropriate to comment on matters before the courts), increasing the threat of nuclear proliferation using plutonium in small modular reactors (Wilkinson: These reactors are under development in several countries, not just Canada, and our regulators ensure we follow all international obligations).

Overall, the day was pretty scattershot, but there were a couple of themes that emerged. One was that the Conservatives highlighted the fact that they have former Crown prosecutors in their caucus…who then ignored the fact that the government doesn’t direct prosecutions, so their ability to try and look tough didn’t quite pan out. The other theme, and the Bloc played into this as well, was that the occupation in January and February couldn’t have been that bad if the police had no problem clearing the bike rally this weekend, which is revisionist history, and pretends like there aren’t vast differences as to what happened in both instances. I would also suggest that perhaps Rachael Thomas stop trying to construct questions that sound like she’s cleverly constructing a trap that the government can’t get out of. It’s not actually clever, isn’t not even convincing rhetoric, and yet she does this time and again. Time for a new schtick.

Sartorial speaking, snaps go out to Glen Motz for a medium blue suit with a light blue shirt, a purple paisley tie and a dark purple pocket square, and to Melissa Lantsman for a fuchsia jacket over a v-necked white top and black slacks. Style citations go out to Michelle Ferreri for a dark blue jacket with pink florals, over a black top and black leather slacks, and to Adam van Koeverden for a grey jacket grey shirt with navy stripes, a navy and yellow striped tie, and blue jeans.