Roundup: Rota’s “Justinflation” problem

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The Speaker of the House of Commons has a “Justinflation” problem. Having too laxly enforced the rules around using first names and MPs mocking one another for too long, Anthony Rota finds that he is having a hard time getting Conservatives to stop using it. This past week in Question Period, he tried a few times to get Conservatives to stop, or to at least put a pause in between the two portions, but quickly realised that the exaggerated pause wasn’t doing anything either, and he tried to get them to stop that as well, but that mostly didn’t work either. And lo, it’s no wonder, because he doesn’t really enforce the rules. Same with repeated mentions last week about the prime minister being absent, both for the Queen’s funeral and to attend the United Nations General Assembly, which MPs are not supposed to do, and yet did anyway with no word of warning from Rota.

Rota, who tries very hard to show that he’s such a nice guy, relies on gentle chiding when MPs don’t follow the rules, and shockingly, that doesn’t work. It doesn’t work to stop things like “Justinflation, “and it doesn’t stop MPs from abusing Zoom to the detriment of the health and safety of the interpretation staff (for over two gods damned years). Gentle chiding doesn’t work. Do you know what does? Refusing to call on MPs when they break the rules. He doesn’t need to actually follow the speaking list that the House Leaders have given him. He can enforce the rules by not calling on MPs who break them, and when they shape up, then he can call on them again. These are powers that are completely with in his disposal if he cared to actually enforce the rules. But he doesn’t seem to want to, so here we are, and the “Justinflation” references continue apace. Slow clap all around.

Ukraine Dispatch, Day 219:

As Russia “formally” declared they were illegally annexing two more Ukrainian provinces, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy formally signed a declaration that Ukraine will be seeking NATO membership, hopefully through an accelerated process, but so long as there are Russians occupying territory in Ukraine, that may not be able to happen—but it could force more NATO members to provide more support in the interim.

Good reads:

  • For the National Day on Truth and Reconciliation, the prime minister attended a sunrise ceremony in Niagara, followed by the ceremony on Parliament Hill.
  • Mélanie Joly says that Canada supports Ukraine’s desire to join NATO (but that likely can’t happen until they have expelled all Russian invaders).
  • Joly also says that the promised Indo-Pacific Strategy will be released by the end of the year, as she prepares to hold a series of meetings on it.
  • Here is an explainer on high gasoline prices even as oil prices are falling (Spoiler: A number of refineries are currently shut down for maintenance or repairs).
  • Saab is complaining that the federal government isn’t following its own rules when it comes to negotiating for the F-35 fighters.
  • MPs from all parties wonder why the government is taking so long to make Criminal Code changes that would allow them to send aid to Afghans before winter.
  • NISCOP is calling out the government for not providing formal responses to its reports for the past five years.
  • The Globe has a lengthy obituary for former NDP MP Bill Blaikie.
  • Saskatchewan and Manitoba say they will join with Alberta in not enforcing the assault-style rifle mandatory buyback (and this is going to be a problem, guys).
  • Kevin Carmichael delves into the problems created by the labour shortage, and why the solutions are proving to be politically unpalatable.
  • Heather Scoffield blames government inaction for some of the problems we’re seeing, but is too quick to blame the federal government and not the provinces.

Odds and ends:

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2 thoughts on “Roundup: Rota’s “Justinflation” problem”

  2. The cons can’t bring themselves to refer to PMJT as Prime Minister because they’ve never been able to accept that he *is* Prime Minister. Several media sources do the same thing, while referring to “Prime Minister” Harper (even though he’s obviously NOT), in the same manner as FOX refusing to say “President” Obama, while using the honorific for Republicans (Presidents Bush, Reagan, and of course Trump). They claim it’s for “brevity” purposes (i.e. to fit into Twitter’s character limit), but then why add it to Harper?

    It’s one thing for fans or supporters (or even those who don’t like him) to say “Justin” or “Trudeau” or “J.T.,” and apparently he doesn’t mind, because he’s not a stickler for protocol coming from civilians. But for the “news,” and the juvenile opposition party many of the fifth-estaters apparently support, to keep calling him by his first name *and making childish puns* to score meaningless “dunks,” shows a crass disrespect for the office, simply because they have an irrational personal hatred for the man. I wonder how long before the CPC move on to that time-honoured favourite playground insult among right-wing trolls: “Turdeau.”

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