QP: Just pass the budget bill

While the prime minster was in Brussels for the NATO summit, his deputy was attending virtually. Candice Bergen led off in person, scripts before her, and she decried that there were photos of the prime minister at the G7 meeting without a mask (because they have been testing rigorously), and complained he wouldn’t be quarantining upon his return (untrue – he will be quarantining, but at a hotel in Ottawa and not Toronto or Montreal, because he doesn’t fly commercial), and accused him of not paying attention to job losses in our economy. Chrystia Freeland suggested the most important thing they could do to show they care about the economy is to pass Bill C-30 on the budget implementation. After a lengthy issue with translation volumes, Bergen accused the government of a litany of sins including corruption, cronyism and cover-ups, and insisted that the prime minster wasn’t able to focus on the economy — but didn’t really ask a question. Freeland said the government was working hard to pass the budget implementation bill that would extend supports to Canadians, but the Conservatives were playing partisan games in delaying it. Bergen raised the golf game between senior members of the Canadian Forces with General Jonathan Vance while was under investigation, to which Harjit Sajjan read a statement about culture change, and how the new chief of defence staff was dealing with this. Gérard a Deltell took over in French to accuse the government of appointing partisan judges, based on the moral panic of an irresponsible news piece, and David Lametti read some cheery talking points about the merit-based process without explaining it. Deltell took some swipes at Lametti, and Lametti read a piece from the Globe and Mail about the Conservative criteria for appointments based on donor lists.

Claude DeBellefeuille led for the Bloc, and she demanded the government make the language of work in federal offices in Quebec to be French, and Mélanie Joly repeated the demonstrably false notion that French is in decline in Quebec, before saying that in places with a strong francophone presence, they will have a right to work and be served in French. DeBellefeuille repeated the demand, and Joly insisted that there government has committed to doing more, and would have a future bill on official languages.

Peter Julian led for the NDP, and decried that pandemic benefits were being cut, while he accused the government of giving money to oil companies and banks (which is not really true). Freeland suggested that he support the budget implementation bill which would extend those income supports until the end of September. Lindsay Mathyssen returned the Vance golf game, and Sajjan read his statement on institutional culture change and the role of the chief of defence staff once again.

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QP: Sniping about Mulcair’s trip to Washington

Monday after a constituency week, and kicking off budget week, Members’ Statements were dominated by sniping back and forth over Thomas Mulcair’s trip to Washington last week. QP started off with Thomas Mulcair reading questions about the upcoming budget being full of “corporate giveaways for their buddies.” James Moore, the designated back-up PM du jour, read some good news talking points before he too accused Mulcair of “selling out” the country in Washington. On his second supplemental, Mulcair bizarrely accused the government of “listening to Tom Flanagan,” which Moore ignored in his response. Mulcair took all the slots in the leader’s round, moving onto Peter Penashue’s election expenses. Moore responded that Penashue took responsibility and stepped down. Leading off for the Liberals was leadership contender Joyce Murray, who kept on about the Penashue resignation. Moore repeated that Penashue took responsibility and stepped down, before adding a gratuitous “Where is the stolen $40 million?” For her final supplemental, Murray asked about the muzzling of scientists and federal archivists and librarians. Moore insisted that it simply was not the case, and said that the directive to staff was independent of government, and doesn’t bar them from speaking publicly.

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