QP: Not taking yes for an answer on Hogue

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The prime minister was off in Quebec City to meet with the premier of that province, but his deputy was present, having just made the formal announcement of the Ways and Means motion on the capital gains changes that they want to use as a political wedge. Most of the other leaders were away, and Pierre Paul-Hus led off in French, and raised the NSICOP report, and demanded to know the names of who was implicated. Dominic LeBlanc noted that he was surprised by the question because Andrew Scheer had sent a letter asking to send this to the Hogue Commission, and there was a Bloc motion on the same thing, and the government was going to support it. Paul-Hus wanted it clear whether the prime minister would reveal the names to Justice Hogue, and let her deal with it, and LeBlanc repeated that they were going to support the Bloc motion. Jasraj Hallan took over in English to ramp up the rhetoric, launching accusations, and LeBlanc reiterated that they agree the Commission is well-placed, and already has access to the documents in question. Hallan torqued his rhetoric even further, and LeBlanc again said they would support the Bloc motion, and LeBlanc said that he asked the deputy RCMP commissioner what would happen if he stood up and read off those names, and was told he would be criminally charged, which he would not do. Hallan switched topics to claim there was some secret carbon price report that the PBO couldn’t release (there was no report), and Steven Guilbeault recited his lines about the PBP report saying that eight out of ten households got more money back than they spent.

Alain  Therrien led for the Bloc, and patted himself on the back for their motion, claiming they were being the adults in the room. LeBlanc repeated that they would support the motion. Therrien demanded further reassurance that they would turn over any additional documents and LeBlanc assured him they were.

Jagmeet Singh conflated a number of incidents with the NSICOP report revelations, and Dominic LeBlanc gave some back-patting on the only government actually taking action. Singh repeated the conflation in French, and got much the same response. 

Round two, and Michelle Ferrari read an overwrought script on the so-called PBO gagging (Freeland: The only people gagged in here are the Conservatives, especially if they support our capital gains measures), Kelly Block read her own script of the same (Freeland: Same again; MacKinnon: On Friday, this member told us that Conservatives are allowed to run on an a la carte party platform), and John Barlow read his own script (Freeland: You’re the only ones being gagged).

Julie Vignola claimed that the Auditor General said the government has lost all control of public funds, which is a reach (Duclos: We are making changes to processes; Champagne: We have changed SDTC’s model to ensure better governance and support small businesses), and René Villemure read his own torqued reading of the report on McKinsey contracts (Duclos: We have been following the AG’s recommendations).

Lianne Rood complained about the carbon price for farmers and demanded Bill C-234 be passed unamended (Freeland: We have been helping Canadians with affordability; MacKinnon: 95 percent of farm fuels are already exempt, and as for that bill, they have finally allowed it to be debated today), and Richard Lehoux read a similar script in French (MacKinnon: Same response in French).

Lindsay Mathyssen wanted the government do something about a strike at a company making combat vehicles for Ukraine (O’Regan: We are aware of the situation), and Leah Gazan raised a report that says telecom companies make it hard for people to change numbers or plans when feeling domestic violence (Champagne: I read the report and am concerned, and we have been tough on telecom giants and we will get results).

Round three saw yet more questions on the NSICOP report and the Hogue Commission (LeBlanc: We have always collaborated with the Commission; O’Connell: You keep misrepresenting what happened at committee after previously denigrating NSICOP; MacKinnon: We put NICOP in place, and other measures to fight foreign interference; Why are you taking such a partisan tone with this issue?) There were also questions on the job market and reform of EI (Freeland: We understand the difficulties people are facing, and the Bank of Canada was able to reduce interest rates because of our responsible fiscal policy; Boissonnault: We did make changes, and interest rates will continue to go down), the Boissonnault allegations (MacKinnon: This has been answered), spinning a conspiracy about the NCC buying a building on Sparks Street owned by a friend of the PM (Duclos: This was made by the arm’s length NCC, and PMO was not involved), blaming the Bloc for the lack of housing for seniors (Freeland: We have been investing in affordable housing), the government not stopping scams aimed at seniors (Turnbull: We are very concerned, and the budget has measures to combat crime he money laundering), and ways to work with the government around transparency once getting a classified briefing (O’Connell: It’s great you are getting a classified briefing and all party leaders should).

Overall, I have to say that the government deciding to agree with the Bloc motion to send the matter of the NSICOP report to the Hogue Commission is a shameless abdication of responsibility and once again repeats the pattern of demanding that a judge deal with a political problem rather than politicians cleaning up their own houses. It’s utterly shameless and ridiculous, but lo, even though Dominic LeBlanc announced this right off the top, there were nevertheless numerous questions that seemed to refuse to take yes for an answer, because gods forbid MPs have to throw away their prepared scripts.

This having been said, I cannot say enough how much of an absolute problem the thirty-minute suspension was at the start of the third round because Melissa Lantsman left her earpiece too close to her microphone as all MPs have been clearly instructed not to do, and lo, there was feedback and the interpreters stopped working. And even more to the point, when things did get back underway, Lantsman did not apologise, and the Speaker was gently reminding MPs to be more careful to as to protect the interpreters rather than laying down the law and threatening consequences for MPs who keep breaking the rules. I will write more about this elsewhere, but I am fuming that this happened, and there was no reason for this to keep happening.

Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to Ben Carr for a medium-blue suit with a light blue shirt and pink tie, and to Pam Damoff for a white suit with a black top with a beaded neckline. Style citations go out to Patty Hajdu for a long navy smock with butterfly patterns across it over a white long-sleeved top and tan slacks, and to Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay for a navy suit jackets over  light blue shirt, a tan waistcoat and no tie.

One thought on “QP: Not taking yes for an answer on Hogue”

  1. I guess nobody remembers the Mccarthy hearings or read about them. I dont remember them, but I read enough to be disturbed at the calls to “name them”.

    Expression I’d like to never hear again: “We’re the adults in the room”.

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