QP: Not one but two MPs being censured

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Both the prime minister and his deputy were away—Trudeau hobnobbing at the opening of the Liberal convention—while most of the other leaders were absent as well, and boy did the day start off in a raucous manner.

Michael Chong led off, and demanded the record be corrected that he had not been briefed about threats to him and his family two years ago, as two Liberal MPs had asserted in debate earlier in the day. Mendicino didn’t really correct the record, but praised the CSIS annual report being released. After an outburst from Chris Warkentin and an intervention from the Speaker, Chong said that he was informed from the National Security Advisor that the report about that Chinese diplomat who was involved in the threats against him did circulate to her two years ago in contradiction to what the prime minister said, and Mendicino thanked him for the update, but reiterated that they only found out on Monday, and took action then. Chong demanded to know why the government wasn’t following CSIS’ advice around the Chinese diplomat, and Mendicino recited that the ambassador had been summoned. Luc Berthold took over in French accused the government of spreading disinformation about their members, and Mendicino recited the lines about briefings being offered. Berthold called this disinformation, and repeated Chong’s update about the diplomat, and this time Mélanie Joly said that she empathises, and that they have summoned the Chinese ambassador.

Christine Normandin led for the Bloc, and quoted Richard Fadden’s belief that ministers did get the briefing about Chong, and Mendicino insisted that they only learned about it on Monday. Normandin accused the government of blaming CSIS for their failures, and raised the alleged warning ahead of the 2019 election about Han Dong. Mendicino called on all MPs to stand in solidarity against foreign interference. 

Jagmeet Singh rose for the NDP, raised the fact that the prime minster has been Liberal leader for ten years, and blamed him for the housing crisis. Soraya Martinez Ferrada recited taking points about the their plans to help increase supply. Singh repeated the accusation in French, and got much the same reply.

Round two, and Andrew Scheer accused the government of sitting on the Chong report for two years (Mendicino: We want to make sure all members are safe), Larry Brock took his own turn (Mendicino: Yay briefings), and Gérard Deltell took his own kicks in French (Mendicino: We have to work together in good faith to protect our institutions).

René Villemure raised CSIS’ annual report and its confirmation of Chinese “police stations” and bullying of diaspora communities, and wondered why nothing moves without a leak to the media (Mendicino: Thank you for raising CSIS’ report, and it showed they offered 49 briefings to Members), and Marie-Hélène Gaudreau wanted to know if any other MPs were being threatened (Mendicino: We can work together to protect our institutions).

Dan Albas said MPs who claimed Chong knew his family was being threatened were “victim-blaming” (Holland: There is no question that any government would take a threat against one MPs as anything other than a threat against all of us), Mark Strahl accused those same Liberals of spreading lies—and got named by the Speaker.

Jenny Kwan demanded the federal government build 500,000 units of social housing (Martinez Ferrada: We agree about the challenges, and have made historic investments), and Don Davies blamed the federal government for not implementing pharmacare instead of premiers who won’t sign on (Duclos: We are taking what steps we can).

Round three saw questions on expelling that Chinese diplomat (Joly: I have warned my Chinese counterpart and we did summon the ambassador as we assess the interests at stake because we have learned from the example of the two Michaels; Mendicino: We called in the ambassador and will continue to condemn their actions; You opposed giving CSIS the tools they need), expanding natural gas (Guilbeault: More than 80 percent of our grid is non-emitting, and Alberta is phasing coal out seven years ahead of schedule), the coronation (Bendayan: There is flooding in Quebec, and this is what you’re asking about?; Champagne: Same answer), blaming the federal government for the increase in violent crime (Lametti: We are working with the provinces and territories to strengthen the bail system), the prime minister travelling (Champagne: The scandal is the Conservatives voting against our budget to help Canadians; Holland: The prime minister is allowed a family vacation at Christmas; Gould: We are actually helping Canadians when your party simply gave cheques to millionaires; Champagne: We won’t take any lessons from a party that let the auto sector down), “municipal gatekeepers” (Martinez Ferrada: Your leader insults elected mayors, which won’t get houses built), and electoral reform (LeBlanc: We are looking at ways to make voting more accessible).

Overall, it was quite the day, where we had not one but two Conservative MPs who were called out by the Speaker and were told that they won’t be recognized until they withdraw and apologize for calling members of the government liars. Of course, Conservatives lie in the Chamber all the time, and the government has difficulty calling them out, but they were having absolute meltdowns today over two Liberals—Mark Gerretsen and Kevin Lamoureux, of course—saying something incorrect, which may have been the result of confusion given the changing stories rather than outright mendacity or bad faith (though we can’t rule that out, though Gerretsen did apologise later in the day). The Conservatives operate in bad faith so often that today’s antics just feel even more like an operating ethos of rules for thee but nor for me, or rank hypocrisy. And don’t get me wrong—I really don’t think the government should respond to bad faith with bad faith, because they shouldn’t. But this situation has been a complete mess from the beginning, and they keep finding ways to step on rakes rather than help themselves, because that’s the only way they apparently know how to operate, and it’s so gods damned tiresome.

With this in mind, I cannot stress enough just how ineffective Marco Mendicino continues to be on this file, most especially in his inane talking points about offering briefings, or in patting himself on the back for creating NSICOP and NSIRA. They needed to be clear on Monday that they weren’t given the briefings, and they needed to be contrite today about the news that this did go to PCO, and needing to determine what happened. He just makes it all worse as the complete bed-shitting continues.

Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to Rob Oliphant for a blue-grey suit with a crisp white shirt and a dark blue tie, and to Christine Normandin for a black dress with three-quarter sleeves and an embroidered panel down the front. Style citations go out to Shelby Kramp-Neuman for a navy jacket, dark orange top and cream and grey skirt, and to Jacques Gourde for a medium grey suit over a light grey shirt and black tie. Dishonourable mention goes out to Marie-Hélène Gaudreau for a dark yellow top under a black leather jacket, to Kevin Waugh for a black jacket, light yellow shirt, grey and blue striped tie and light grey slacks, and to Martin Shields for a black suit and shirt with a yellow printed tie.

One thought on “QP: Not one but two MPs being censured”

  1. Bob Fife got a story massive wrong using CSIS sources which he never named and because of him a man spent years in prison and the federal government paid millions in damages so I don’t think the press gallery should be lecturing anybody on either side about accountability. “We can’t question someone’s else reporting” with Vassy Kapelos and David Cochrane let alone ask the sources be named is weird and we might as well have state media is reporters don’t put the screws to each other.

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