QP: Gold heist concerns

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Neither the prime minister nor his deputy were present today, as they started their cross-country sales budget, and I will say it was quite a neat trick where the one day Chrystia Freeland showed up was the day Trudeau gave all the answers, so that nobody can ask her about the budget. As for the other leaders, none of them were present. Melissa Lantsman led off, and raised the biggest gold heist in history and that the suspects are already out on bail (because they’re not violent criminals?) Arif Virani noted that they passed significant bail reform legislation already, and that the budget has measures to combat money laundering and organised crime, and he hoped for their support. Lantsman claimed that the Liberals passed the bill that made this kind of bail possible (not really true—much of the law on bail has been set by the Supreme Court of Canada), and seemed to imply these criminals paid off the government. Virani noted that they have been dealing with the causes of crime, and that bail reform is there for violent, serious offenders with the support of law enforcement, before repeating his exhortation to support the measures in the budget. Lantsman switched to gas prices in Ontario, and falsely blamed the carbon levy, before demanding an election. Jean-Yves Duclos cited that eight out of ten families get back more in the carbon rebate than they pay. Dominique Vien took over in French, and she blamed the carbon levy on the cost of living crisis, particularly in Quebec (where it doesn’t apply). Duclos quoted that Poilievre only created six affordable housing units when he was “minister, and that they just created 173 units in her riding. Vien blamed the government on inflation (again, not actually the cause), and Duclos got back up to repeat the six housing units stat.

Alain Therrien led for the Bloc, and accused the prime minister of threatening provincial transfers if they don’t agree to federal dictates, just like the Conservatives. Pablo Rodriguez noted all the things the Bloc are for that are in the budget, and yet they are threatening to vote against it like the Conservatives. Therrien said the budget was only about pandering, and about securing the election given how much money flows afterward. Duclos noted that it’s not happening in the future, but the 8000 housing units happening now in Quebec.

Alexandre Boulerice rose for the NDP, and complained about the planned elimination of 5000 public service positions rather than subcontracting. Anita Anand noted that these positions were likely to be eliminated through natural attrition. Don Davies raised a report that says the government doesn’t track job creation from subsidies, and demanded corporate accountability. François-Philippe Champagne took the opportunity to praise the investments in the budget.

Round two, and John Barlow claimed to have received letters from farmers who demanded the carbon levy be eliminated by means of Bill C-234 in its original form (MacAulay: Here is some good news for farmers in the budget; You cut funds for farmers while we restored them), John Brassard complained about gas prices (van Koeverden: You are in the pockets of oil and gas giants), and Shelby Kramp gave more of the same (Boissonnault: This is about gas producers switching to summer blend which is more expensive, not the carbon levy). 

Martin Champoux worried about “Halal mortgages” and threw around some low-key Islamophobia (Bibeau: These tools already exist but we want to study the rules around them).

Michael Barrett railed that there government hasn’t tried to recoup funds from GC Strategies (LeBlanc: The investigations are still ongoing and we will seek to recover if it was spent inappropriately), Luc Berthold tried again in French (LeBlanc: Same answer).

Matthew Green also complained about gas prices and demanded a windfall tax (Champagne: We will take no lessons…), and Lisa Marie Barron complained about to the delays in the emissions cap (Boissonnault: Maybe you guys should find the courage of your convictions and return to supporting the carbon levy).

Round three saw yet more questions on GC Strategies (Duclos: There are investigations ongoing; LeBlanc: Allow the investigations to conclude). It also saw questions on housing in Quebec (Rodriguez: What exactly do you not like in the budget?; Duclos: You’re an economist and you know it’s important to work together), auto theft (LeBlanc: We are taking this problem seriously in collaboration with our partners; Virani: You voted against the bill that would have increased sentences for auto theft), the gold heist offenders being on bail (Virani: You voted against our bill that tougher bail conditions, especially around auto theft), prisoners who have it too good in prisons (LeBlanc: The safety of the people who work in prisons if of paramount importance and we are given them the tools they need), drug decriminalisation in BC (Saks: You ignored the rest of what BC police said and are abusing facts), funding for counselling for survivors of violence (Hepfner: We know there is more to do, but this budget does cover contraceptives), and work visas for Mexican workers (Miller: Come see me if you have any particular issues).

Overall, it wasn’t as loud or rowdy as it was yesterday, but there was still a big upset when Adam van Koeverden created a mocking title for Poilievre, and didn’t really withdraw it when the Speaker invited him to, which led to a whole meltdown after Question Period about how he wasn’t applying the rules fairly—which is…curious, because the Conservatives do it all the gods damned time, and the most they get is a gentle reminder that they’re not supposed to do that. (van Koeverden did say he withdrew the remarks during points of order after QP, but still). Rules for thee but not for me, and all of that.

Otherwise, for it being two days after the budget, it was a bit curious that there was almost no mention of it, for no lack of trying by the Liberals. The exaggerated concern over those involved in the gold heist getting bail is theatrical preening, given that the heist was likely an inside job, and was done without a shootout or anything like that. They’re not exactly violent criminals who’ve killed someone and are in danger of killing again. Of course, Conservatives have no appetite to discuss the truth of the law of bail—it’s so much easier to pretend that people should be thrown in jail forever upon arrest—while the government refuses to actually explain it (because “when you’re explaining, you’re losing” and so on), which just makes this kind of discussion a bunch of empty rhetoric that helps absolutely no one.

Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to Eric Melillo for a maroon suit with a black shirt and tie, and to Leah Gazan for a cream short jacket with a high collar over a black dress. Style citations go out to Lisa Hepfner for a grey wrap dress with gold and dark red florals, and to Darrell Samson for a black suit with a pale pink shirt and a too-small black bow-tie.