QP: Complaining that the PM is in New York

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While the prime minister and his deputy were off to New York—the PM to the United Nations General Assembly, his deputy to meetings with the US treasury secretary—all of the other leaders were present. The anti-trans demonstrations outside the Hill were largely a failure, drowned out by counter-protesters, which was going to come up later on. Pierre Poilievre led off in French and stated that the prime minister said this was a difficult time for politicians, that the government declared victory over inflation prematurely and it rose again last month, before he demanded the government bring down taxes and so-called “inflationary deficits” (which is not a thing we’re dealing with). François-Philippe Champagne rose to much applause, before he said that he heard three things from Canadians—to help with the cost of groceries, the cost of housing, (the third thing didn’t come through), and they know that the government is there for them. Poielivre got up to needle the Liberals for their enthusiastic response to Champagne and suggested maybe they want him as leader instead, before deploying his usuals slogans. Champagne patted himself on the back for calling in the grocery CEOs before saying that people were tired of Poilievre’s slogans. Poilievre switched to English to complain about Trudeau going to New York before demanding they balance the budget and cut the carbon price. Jonathan Wilkinson got up to recite some lines about affordability before listing actions taken to address affordability while dealing with the existential threat of climate change. Poilievre again repeated that Trudeau went to New York while people have to pay carbon prices and demanded the cut it. Anita Anand pointed out that they have a plan to help Canadians unlike the Conservatives, and patted herself on the actions taken. Poilievre spouted a bunch of utter nonsense about inflation, and this time Sean Fraser for up to complaint that Poilievre only attacks the vulnerable and doesn’t have any plans to help families.

Yves-François Blanchet led for the Bloc, and complained about housing prices, and the supposed $900 million he claimed the federal government is withholding from Quebec. Fraser said he is working with the province. Blanchet insisted this was interference, and said that Ottawa should build housing (which he just said was Quebec’s jurisdiction) and then demanded the government stop subsidising the oil and gas sector and use that money for old age security. Wilkinson said that they have already ended subsidies.

Jagmeet Singh rose for the NDP, and demanded federal action against renovictions and “demovictions” (which is not really federal jurisdiction). Fraser praised the National Housing Plan, and that the government was going to build more houses. Singh switched to French to complain there were no affordable units to rent, and wanted guarantees they would be built. Fraser again praised the National Housing Plan, and switched back to English halfway through to complete his same talking points.

Round two, and Pierre Paul-Hus railed about the carbon price, trying to needle the Bloc about it as though they could answer (St-Onge: The real cost is that of climate change), and complained about the cost of redesigning passports (Beech: The backlog is completely eliminated and people will soon be able to renew online), Melissa Lantsman gave some word salad about spending and inflation (Fraser: When your leader was housing leader, he failed to build the house he promised to), and accused the government of “losing” a million immigrants (Fraser: It’s dangerous to play politics with immigration), and Leslyn Lewis gave a laundry list of supposed failures (Bendayan: No Canadian has told us they want us to cut their programmes).

Blanchet got back up to complaint that the government sent three ministers to a global oil summit in Calgary before complaining about subsidies (Wilkinson: We have a framework to eliminate subsidies and I gave a speech their about climate change), and then demanded OAS be enriched (Wilkinson: The member is saying things that are not true and we are eliminating subsidies).

Luc Berthold claimed that the carbon price is increasing food prices, which isn’t really the driver (Champagne: We took action by calling in the CEOs; Duclos: It is drastic and irresponsible to deny the existence of climate change, and most people are getting rebates), and Shelby Kramp-Neuman gave some slogans about spending (Holland: You are talking about cuts and dealing with global inflation on the backs of the most vulnerable; Gould: Your record is of high unemployment and low growth, and you only want to cut programmes that help people).

Jenny Kwan demanded a reinstatement of a national co-op housing programme (Fraser: We agree that past federal governments abandoned the housing space but we have been reinvesting), and Randall Garrison raised the anti-trans demonstrations happening across the country (Ien: We see and her trans kids and condemn these marches).

Round three saw questions on carbon prices (MacAulay: As a farmer, I understand the challenges of farmers, but Fiona destroyed farms in the east coast and we need to deal with climate change; van Koeverden: Farmers believe in climate change and want to fight it; Rodriguez: How much does climate change cost? Canada can’t afford Conservatives; Fraser: It’s hard to take seriously a question from a MPs who went on an expensive junket to the UK; Wilkinson: You’re all hypocrites because you ran on a carbon price; Gould: We have been focused on making life affordable with things like child care and dental care; Thousands of people have been displaced because of wild fires; ), complaining that Davie shipyard got no money to modernise their shipyard (Duclos: Everyone is happy that we signed the contract with Davie; I’m happy to brief you on the contracts in place), droughts hitting farms (MacAulay: We are analysing the situation, and we have assistance programmes), and the Kitchener-Waterloo being forced to close their symphony orchestra for lack of support (St-Onge: We have been in active touch with the organisation to see how our programmes can support them).

Overall, it was pretty sedate in the Chamber, and nary a word was spoken on the recent allegations around the Indian government, so I’m not sure quite what to make of that, other than each party has their set number of talking points that they are trying to stick to, likely because they spent the summer polling on those issues. I will note that the Conservatives have increasingly been putting up their Quebec MPs to needle the Bloc, particularly on support for carbon pricing, in their questions as though the Bloc were going to get up to answer. I’m not sure I get the strategy, other than they simply to use these clips on their French-language social channels, for what it’s worth. Otherwise, the patterns remained the same, where Conservatives spend the latter half of QP all on a single issue (that they can’t cite any proper facts about), and the government mostly stands up to pat themselves on the back rather than correcting the wrong facts and general mendacity, because apparently if you’re explaining, you’re losing, or something. I don’t get it either.

Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to Adam van Koeverden for sharply tailored navy suit over a crisp white shirt and a red tartan tie, and to Jenny Kwan for a structured half-sleeved black dress with a small white dots. Style citations go out to Gudie Hutchings for a black shirt-dress with giant pale yellow florals, and to Martin Shields for a tan jacket over a light grey checked shirt, beige tie, and black slacks.