QP: Cherry-picking data to fit a narrative

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The prime minister was off in Montreal to open the COP15 biodiversity summit, his deputy was off in Toronto, and that very morning, the Auditor General released two reports on COVID measures that the government took, and boy, did the Conservatives care about these reports in a way they absolutely did not about her reports just a couple of weeks ago. Pierre Poilievre led off, and he first raised the anniversary of École Polytechnique, saying that they commit to ensuring it will never happen again, asking the government for what they are doing on this file. Pascale St-Onge rose to say that they are all sending thoughts to the families of the victims, and that they want to do more to protect women, which is why they have their bill to limit assault rifles and invited all parties to work with them to strengthen the bill and protect women. Poilievre, still in French, raised the AG report on “horrific” waste, wondering why the government wasted money to “create inflation.” (It did not create inflation). Diane Lebouthillier said that the government acted quickly to help Canadians, and thanked the Auditor General for confirming that their COVID measures were targeted and effective, that those benefits helped the economy get back on its feet, and that they would continue to protect Canadians. Poilievre switched to English to reiterate the same allegations of waste, listing more dollar amounts than he did in French, incredulous that 1500 prisoners got CERB illegitimately. Carla Qualtrough pointed to the good points that the Auditor General found, that the programme did its job, and that they prevented people going poor or businesses going under, and noted that Parliament approved the attestation approach with verification later. Poilievre listed a bunch of non sequiturs that he equated to government waste, and the government supposedly “taking from the have-nots to give to the have-yachts.” Lebouthillier repeated that the Auditor General’s positive aspects, and noted that the recovery process can take years, while the Conservatives just gave crypto currency advice. Poilievre switched back to French to list people who got CERB without qualification and again railed about waste, and this time Lebouthillier referred to an article where a Conservative MP noted that recovery is a process that can take years, and wondered if Poilievre agreed with his MP.

Yves-François Blanchet led for the Bloc to note the École Polytechnique anniversary and wanted cooperation on amending the gun control bill, and asked for two additional committee meetings about it. St-Onge got back up to reiterate that they are willing to work together to pass the bill. Blanchet made the same request for two more meetings, and St-Onge reiterated her same points about cooperation.

Jagmeet Singh rose for the NDP and demanded the prime minister “show leadership” and call for an emergency meeting with premiers to solve the healthcare crisis (because the premiers have no responsibility here, apparently). Adam van Koeverden read actions that the federal government has taken to help the situation. Singh switched to French to repeat the demand, and this time Dominic LeBlanc got up to point out that they are having discussions with provincial minsters and they are increasing transfers. 

Round two, and Jasraj Hallan got up to repeat the false narrative that pandemic spending fuelled inflation (Qualtrough: The Auditor General pointed out that the programme met the goals of keeping Canadians safe, and Parliament voted on post-payment verification; Gould: The Financial Post reported that our policies are working, getting more women in the workforce), Melissa Lantsman read her own collection of false equivalency from the AG report (Boissonnault: Let me first raise École Polytechnique, and single mothers who got CERB did not cause inflation; Lebouthillier: The CRA doesn’t agree with the Auditor General’s calculations and their figures show a high rate of compliance), and Richard Martel raised the prediction on food price inflation next year and blamed it on “inflationary spending” (Gould: We trust Canadians and we are going to help them when they need it; Boissonnault: Our approach is based on compassion, and mothers who took CERB didn’t cause inflation).

Mario Simard moaned that the federal government hasn’t increased health transfers without strings (van Koeverden: We are disappointed by the statement from provincial health ministers but we are still willing to work together), and tried to insist that Ottawa could not set standards and called Ottawa “haughty and pretentious” (van Koeverden: The government has been working with provinces toward a national vision of healthcare that meets needs, and transfers are increasing).

Kelly Block raised the problems with the vaccine tracking programme (van Koeverden: Improvements can and will be made, and there was no waste, and insisting we didn’t act expeditiously are false), and Adam Chambers worried how much the government expected to collect in overpayments (Qualtrough: Our approach kept food on people’s tables and attached to their jobs, and we positioned our economy to come roaring back; We have a rigorous process and have a compassionate approach).

Lindsay Mathyssen somehow blamed the federal government for Doug Ford downloading costs on municipalities around healthcare (van Koeverden: We will always stand up for the public system), and Leah Gazan wanted childcare “nationalised” (Gould: We have reduced fees by 50 percent, and women’s workforce participation is at an all-time high, and we will introduce legislation soon to keep this going).

Round three saw questions on the Auditor General’s report (Lebouthillier: While you were complaining about waste, we saved lives and won’t apologise for it; The CRA doesn’t agree with her calculations around ineligibility but it’s not her fault; Qualtrough: We fully respect the Auditor General, and she agreed that we met the objectives of our programmes; Boissonnault: Let’s take a look at what her report said—the pandemic spending prevented a doubling of poverty and kept the economy from faltering), the biodiversity conference in Montreal (Wilkinson: It’s great this is taking place in Montreal and we have taken action as a government), homelessness versus the National Housing Strategy (Hussen: We have doubled funding and introduced the rapid housing initiative), and a national health-based approach to the opioid crisis (Bennett: We are working with our partners to end this crisis).

https://twitter.com/journo_dale/status/1600219008992698368

Overall, the focus on the Auditor General’s report was an exercise in hyperbole. The report itself was not scathing, and yet the Conservatives insisted that it was “damning,” because this was an exercise in cherry-picking facts to fuel their narrative, particularly their bogus narrative about government spending supposedly fuelling inflation (when it really hasn’t). What was particularly interesting, however, was the way the Conservatives pivoted in the third round to demand apologies from Diane Lebouthillier for daring the dispute a finding of the Auditor General. They insisted the this was somehow attacking her independence (it’s not) and played up this really toxic notion that independent officers of parliament are these saintly, incorruptible figures who are never wrong (which is a problem when they are wrong, which does happen). And boy, did they crank up the bad drama camp theatrics up to eleven. It was just utterly eye-rolling.

Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to Pascale St-Onge for a grey pinstriped suit with an off-white top, and to Adam van Koeverden for a tailored navy jacket and matching tie over a crisp white shirt. Style citations go out to Alain Therrien for a navy jacket and tie over a white shirt and blue jeans, and to Karina Gould for a caramel turtleneck over brown slacks. Dishonourable mention goes out to Leslyn Lewis for a black suit over a yellow top.