QP: Missing the point on inflation

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While the prime minister was off to NORAD headquarters and then the Summit of the Americas, we had most of the other leaders in the Commons today. Candice Bergen led off, script in front of her, complaining that the prime minister wouldn’t deal with airport line-ups and be photographed with his mask off in other countries, and railed somewhat incoherently about pandemic theatre. Adam van Koeverden first noted the importance of the prime minister’s international travel, before saying that people are confused by the mixed messages from the Conservatives on public health measures and vaccinations. Bergen then pivoted to rising cost of living, and demanded support for their Supply Day motion on cutting GST and carbon prices. Chrystia Freeland listed off affordability measures and that benefits are indexed to inflation. Bergen got indignant and railed that these cheques weren’t worth anything, and that the prime minster was out of touch. Freeland slowly repeated back Bergen’s assertion, noting that she lives in a government accommodation, and how much these cheques were worth to people. Luc Berthold took over in French to demand support their motion, and Freeland decided to quote the Parliamentary Budget Officer back to Conservatives, and what he said about the drivers of inflation. Berthold also gave his own performance of indignation, and Freeland calmly read her script about affordability measures.

Alain Therrien led for the Bloc, and he decried the delays at passport offices, to which Karina Gould deployed her usual lines about adding resources and some offices being open on Saturdays to meet delays. Therrien repeated his demands for faster processing on weekends without additional charges, and Gould repeated her assurances.

Jagmeet Singh rose for the NDP, and he stated that one out of every for Canadians are going hungry (erm, not sure about that claim), while grocery giants are raking in profits, insisting they are responsible for one fourth of food inflation (again, not sure about the veracity of that claim) so they should be taxed to help Canadians. Freeland stated that they are insuring that the wealthy pay their fair share, and listed the budget measures on banks, insurance companies and the luxury tax. Singh repeated his dubious claims in French, and made the same demand, and Freeland repeated her same points.

Round two, and Dan Albas demanded a plan to lower gasoline prices (Freeland: Your party doesn’t have a coherent policy and you can’t pick a lane; Wilkinson: Energy prices are elevated because of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, and we are increasing production to stabilise supply), Gérard Deltell lamented gasoline prices in his riding (Freeland: You guys can’t pick a lane), and Laila Goodridge and Kelly Block demanded that GST and carbon price be dropped on fuel (Wilkinson: World oil prices have been driving up by the invasion of Ukraine; Guilbeault: Carbon rebates put more money back in most people’s pockets).

Kristina Michaud decried the rise in gun crime in Quebec and that the gun control bill doesn’t solve the problem (Mendicino: We need to pass this bill because it can better protect all communities), that organised crime isn’t worried about it (Mendicino: There are tougher measures in this bill), and Rhéal Fortin once again demanded a registry of criminal organisations (Mendicino: This is why we need to pass this bill as soon as possible).

Rob Moore demanded a legislative response to two recent Supreme Court rulings (Lametti: We are still considering our options), and Kerry-Lynne Findlay denounced the bill to dismantle certain mandatory minimum sentences (Mendicino: If you bothered to read it, our gun control bill raises penalties on serious gun crimes; You are playing politics by filibustering this bill).

Taylor Bachrach accused the government of letting airports conditions get bad because they reply on private contract workers (Alghabra: We want to ensure proper working conditions, and while you mention Amsterdam, they are asking to cancel flights to alleviate their own chaos because this is a global problem), and Heather McPherson complained that the government won’t release information on what Russian assets have been sanctioned or seized (Oliphant: We have worked in an unprecedented fashion to lay sanctions).

Round three saw questions on COVID measures on federally-regulated ferries versus airplanes (van Koeverden: It’s different travelling between a ferry and a plane), not making Quebec’s language laws apply to federally-regulated businesses in Quebec (Petitpas Taylor: We have our own ambitious bill to address the decline of French; The opposition has been filibuster in instead of studying this at committee), the bill to eliminate certain mandatory minimums (Lametti: Serious offences will always have serious sentences but we are targeting the over representation of Black and Indigenous people in the justice system; You are giving misinformation about the bill; Mendicino: We are working with the government of Quebec on our gun control bill), the Amanda Alvero contract (Ng: I was not involved in the contract, and it was reviewed by the civil service to ensure it was within the rules), splitting contracts (Fortier: All contracts are issued in accordance with guidelines), vaccines for developing countries (Sajjan: We have been providing and we are working their supply chains), and support for a private member’s bill (Guilbeault: We are moving ahead with that very project).

Overall, it was a day full of overly theatrical clip generation, and not a lot of coherence. And as always, the government could have actually pushed back against the things that were being said, but they mostly suck to prepared bromides and canned lines, because of course they did. I don’t think that they seem to understand that they need to explain why the gimmicks that the opposition are proposing won’t work (for example, cutting taxes is a known way to fuel inflation) and they need a better set of responses than to bring up child care and dental care, because those won’t help most people, and not anytime soon. It does make them look tone-deaf and out of touch, and it baffles me that they don’t seem to understand that.

Otherwise, the shitpost clip-gathering of the day remained on inflation, tough-on-crime, and public health measures, trying to somehow insist that the few remaining measures are some kind of draconian imposition, particularly given that the pandemic is still not over (and the number of Bloc MPs testing positive this week is a pretty good sign of that). The constant wailing that these measures are “vindictive” or somehow punishing people remains over the top and wholly irresponsible, and the fact that the party continues to chase the minority of anti-vaxxers in this country is both absurd and troubling.

Sartorial speaking, snaps go out Pascale St-Onge for a white jacket over a white v-necked top and black slacks, and to Rob Oliphant for a tailored dark blue suit with a crisp white shirt and a purple tie. Style citations go out to Alain Therrien for a blue windowpane jacket over a white shirt, navy tie and blue jeans, and to Anju Dhillon for a salmon-coloured dress with florals. Dishonourable mention goes out to Sylvie Bérubé for a bright yellow jacket over a black and grey striped top and black slacks.