QP: The “soft on crime” square dance

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The prime minister was away in Newfoundland to meet Prince Charles and Camilla for the start of their royal tour, and most other leaders stayed away as well. Somewhat unusually, Blaine Calkins led off, and he accused the government of being soft on crime, and that crime was getting worse in Liberal-held ridings, to which Gary Anandasangaree read a script about the bill getting rid of sentences that disproportionately target Black and Indigenous people and don’t make anyone safer. Calkins complained that the government was just trying to bring back a gun registry that only targets law-abiding gun owners. Marco Mendicino reminded him that they were banning military-style rifles like AR-15s, but the Conservatives were trying to make then legal again. Calkins insisted it was just a new gun registry, but Mendicino listed new measures that they announced this week to tighten restrictions. Luc Berthold took over in French, and accused the Liberals of wanting armed criminals on the streets, to which Anandasangaree read the French intro to his script, before switching back to English to read the rest of it. Berthold insisted that Bill C-5 would leave criminals on the streets, and Mendicino listed the measures that the Conservatives opposed.

Alain Therrien led for the Bloc, and he railed that the federal government was subsidising oil companies while refinery margins keep increasing, and Randy Boissonnault recited a list of affordability measures that were somewhat of a non sequitur. Therrien repeated this accusations both oil companies, to which Steven Guilbeault recited that they have been cutting subsidies and are moving faster than other G7 partners.

Jagmeet Singh rose for the NDP, repeated the same accusations, and wanted the government to support their plan to double the GST credit to help people who need it. Boissonnault listed economic engines for the country and railed that the real problem was Putin and his war on Ukraine. Singh repeated the question in French, and Guilbeault repeated his previous response.

Round two, and Pierre Paul-Hus worried about a firearms incident (Mendicino: This is why we are taking action, while you voted against our investment in the border), Rob Moore insisted that the government would let serious offenders get house arrest alone (Anandasangaree: Your policies did not deter crime, did not make communities safer, and only targeted marginalised communities), Raquel Dancho railed about guns and gangs (Mendicino: You are weak on gun smuggling and preventing crime), Bob Zimmer gave his own version of the same answer (Mendicino: When will you support common-sense measures to make people safer?), and Glen Motz insisted that a new gun registry was on the way (Mendicino: We have great respect for law-abiding shooters, while our measures are common sense).

Mario Beaulieu railed that francophones are under-represented in senior ranks of the civil service (Fortier: Both official languages are essential to provide services and we identify where bilingual is necessary), the appointment of an anglophone Lieutenant Governor of bilingual New Brunswick (Petitpas Taylor: We are committed to ensuring all future LGs in the province are bilingual), and Denis Trudel shouted about the same issues (Petitpas Taylor: We have our bill to modernise the Official Languages Act).

Dominique Vien worried about rising gas prices (Boissonnault: You voted against our affordability measures), Adam Chambers did the same (Boissonnault: Eight out of ten families are better off with climate rebates), Tako Van Popta blames high gas prices on taxes (Boissonnault: There is no evidence that cutting taxes would lower prices), and Rick Perkins complained about fishing fuel cost increases (Boissonnault: We lowered taxes for the middle class and Conservatives voted against it, while we indexed benefits to inflation).

Lori Idlout accused the government of not having a timeline for discovering graves at former residential school sites (Miller: We have deployed half a billion dollars, and we are moving at the pace that communities set for themselves), and Gord Johns demanded decriminalisation of drugs (Bennett: We are working with partners to come up with comprehensive health strategies including diversion from the criminal justice system and safer supply).

Round three saw questions on passport wait times (Gould, by video: Employees are work around the clocks, evenings and weekends to meet this demand), creating a registry of criminal gangs (Mendicino: We have granted tools to police to fight against street gangs), COVID anti-vaxxers leaving the country (Fortier: Having a fully vaccinated workforce makes a safer workplace), vaccine mandates for travel (van Koeverden: Vaccines are safe and effective), temporary foreign workers being delayed (Fraser: We have put in additional resources to process applications, and the current processing time in Quebec is an average of 33 days), a Catholic Cardinal arrested in China and human rights defenders in Hong Kong (Oliphant: We have a complex relationship with China, and we will stand up for human rights at every opportunity), exporting plastic waste (Guilbeault: We are putting together our strategy to combat plastic pollution), blocking the Rogers-Shaw merger versus Quebecor trying to acquire Freedom Mobile (Champagne: Affordability is key, and we will defend it).

Overall, it was occasionally boisterous today, but not overly so, but it is still early for “silly season” antics. Today’s outrage clip gathering was focused on Bill C-5, which seeks to dismantle a number of mandatory minimum sentences which disproportionately target Black and Indigenous people, and where other diversions than mandatory prison time may be more beneficial. There is good evidence to support this repeal, but of course, the Conservatives are going to play the “soft on crime” card, because of course they are. (They’re also filibustering study at committee, because they apparently can’t get enough procedural warfare). This also got mixed in with questions on gun control, because they need it for their fundraising campaigns, and hey, gas prices and passport delays made a comeback today.

Otherwise, I have to wonder what Randy Boissonnault was possibly thinking when he was answering the way he was, giving virtual non-sequiturs to the questions being posed. There are so many ways to respond to questions about oil refineries and subsidies than to talk about affordability measures. It’s not a good look.

Sartorial speaking, snaps go out to Matt Jeneroux for a navy suit and tie with a white shirt and a grey waistcoat, and to Ruby Sahota for an olive green suit with a cream top. Style citations go out to Mona Fortier for a black suit with a black top with embroidered floral patterns, and to René Villemure for a forest green jacket, tan slacks, white shirt and yellow tie. Dishonourable mention goes out to Blake Richards for a black suit with a white shirt and yellow tie.

2 thoughts on “QP: The “soft on crime” square dance”

  1. QP proves everyday that the answers to the cooked up questions from the Cons are insipid and do nothing to show that the government has affairs in order, Let’s face it the Liberals just don’t have the chops. The Cons know it and use it to their advantage.

  2. Cons care so much about law and order that they simp for Pat King and his band of thuggish rig pigs. 40 percent of their base admits to pollsters that they would vote the Unindicted Co-Conspirator as PM. A congressman involved in the January 6th insurrection gave a hearty endorsement to the frontrunner for “leadership”, who has yet to repudiate this boost from a traitor. But sure, it’s the Liberals who are “soft on crime”.

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