QP: Call an election/Get your security clearance ad nauseam

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Wednesday, and what sounds like a less exciting caucus meeting for the Liberals, in spite of the talk going around. The PM was present and ready to take all of the questions today, while his deputy was absent. Not all of the other leaders were present, unusually, and Pierre Poilievre led off in French, recited his talking points about the supposed “promise” in Canada that was “broken,” and wanted the government to adopt his plan to cut the GST on new homes under $1million. Justin Trudeau noted that the problem with any of Poilievre’s proposals is that they come with cuts, and in this case, it would cut $9 billion in transfers to Quebec to build affordable housing. Poilievre insisted that the government only builds bureaucracy and not homes, and again wanted them to adopt his GST cut. Trudeau listed investments the government is making, while Poilievre only offers cuts. Poilievre switched to English to give a paean to a very white, middle-class “Canadian promise,” which he claims the government broke and demanded they adopt his GST cut plan. Trudeau gave a longer soliloquy about the Conservatives only offering cuts and not help for people. Poilievre insisted that the current plans only build bureaucracy and that his plan was “common sense.” Trudeau noted that one of the fundamental responsibilities of any prime minister is to keep Canadians safe, but since Poilievre refuses a security briefing to keep his own caucus safe, he instructed security services to find a way to offer himself a briefing. Poilievre accused this of being a “tin-pot conspiracy,” before returning to the insistence that his plan was just common sense. Trudeau again repeated that Poilievre only offers cuts, and that he asked security services to figure out a briefing. 

Alain Therrien led for the Bloc, and accused the government of abandoning seniors by turning down the Bloc’s OAS bill. Trudeau listed ways in which they are helping seniors, which the Bloc opposed. Therrien took some swipes at the NDP before repeating his demand, and Trudeau linked the Bloc to the Conservatives in voting against measures to help seniors.

Jagmeet Singh rose for the NDP, raised Alberta turning over the administration of some hospitals to Covenant who refuses to provide abortions, and wanted Trudeau to do something. Trudeau noted that they have clawed back transfers to provinces who don’t provide services, and raised their motion to penalise pregnancy support charities that don’t offer the full suite of supports or options. Singh flubbed his attempt at a clip of “It’s her body her choice, not her body Conservative Party’s choice,” before switching to French to complain about housing transfers. Trudeau focused on the abortion aspect, and failed about the anti-choice MPs in the Conservative ranks.

Round two, and Poilievre got up to take swipes at the Bloc, and demanded an election (Trudeau: Your choice not to get a security clearance puts your own party at risk), he took a swipe at the NDP before again demanding an election (Trudeau: Security clearance), raised the rebellious backbenchers to demand an election (Trudeau: Security clearance), releasing the names (Trudeau: So you want to jeopardise sources?), whined that it’s not fair if Trudeau doesn’t face the electorate in the next election (Trudeau: Remember when you cared about national security?), and turned to French to return to his demand to an adoption on his GST plan (Trudeau: Security clearance).

Yves Perron demanded the government force the Senate to pass their Supply Management bill (Trudeau: We support the bill and expect the Senate to pass it; the Senate works independently).

Poilievre was back up and in French, read praises for his GST cut on housing (Trudeau: If you want to fight homelessness, maybe call the conservative premiers in Saskatchewan and Ontario to accept our funding to help provide housing), repeated the praise in English (Trudeau: Security clearance; The fine print under that slogan is that it could cut billions in investments in housing, and you should get your security clearance).

Singh was back up and raised anti-Black racism in the civil service and demanded they settle the lawsuit (Trudeau: We have done more to recognise systemic bias and racism than anyone other, and we constitute to step up with programmes like the Black Entrepreneurship programme), and Bonita Zarrillo blamed the federal government for provinces not ensuring abortion access (Trudeau: My daughter is in the gallery and I want her to know that we are pro-choice, we clawback transfers from delinquent provinces, and the Conservatives can’t say the same).

Round three saw more questions from Poilievre on the proposed GST cut (Trudeau: You aren’t taking a strong position on protecting women’s rights, and he won’t get his clearance and protect his caucus), raised Celina Caesar-Chavannes’ appearance on Jordan Peterson’s election as a segue to demanding an election (Trudeau: Security clearance), claimed the prime minister was “flailing around” and demanded an election (Trudeau: Security clearance), the Toronto police union’s tweets about the handgun ban not working (Trudeau: If your plan is to unfreeze the market and re-legalise assault-style rifles, nobody can take you seriously), closing safe consumption sites (Trudeau: The opioid crisis profoundly impacts communities, and our approach is science-based and uses compassion), food insecurity and the carbon levy (Trudeau: The carbon rebate gives eight out of ten families more back than they pay; If you cared about this, you would have supported the school food programme). There were also questions about advanced directives for MAiD in Quebec (Trudeau: Assisted dying is deeply personal and this is a massive change and we need a national conversation), overcharging veterans for long-term care beds (Trudeau: The minister has launched an investigation), and the allegations against a certain Cabinet minister (Trudeau: That was a disgraceful display of unseriousness and it’s no wonder you want to join the Conservatives).

#QP very nearly broke me today.

— Dale Smith (@journodale.bsky.social) 2024-10-30T20:08:09.353Z

Overall, it was an absolutely awful day of each leader just talking past one another with their message of the day—Poilievre throwing every excuse against the wall to demand an election, while Trudeau kept going on and on and on about Poilievre’s security clearance, no matter what the question was. The first couple of times was annoying. But by the end of QP, I was on the verge of contemplating self-harm, because it was that obnoxious and utterly off-putting. This is absolutely not how this exercise is supposed to work, and the fact that both major leaders were playing this particular game was a sign that they would rather just foul the well rather than either of them behaving like an adult and doing their actual job.

Re: the antics in #QP today.

— Dale Smith (@journodale.bsky.social) 2024-10-30T20:09:13.253Z

Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to Peter Fragiskatos for a dark grey three-piece suit with a crisp with shirt and matching pocket square and a light purple tie, and to Arielle Kayabaga for a black closed jacket over a black skirt. Style citations go out to Laila Goodridge for a black dress with orange and pink florals over the sleeves, and to Blake Richards for a dark green suits with a light blue shirt and purple tie.