In advance of the budget release, the PM was around but not at QP yet again (and it is just shy of two weeks since he last has been). Pierre Poilievre was absent, likely getting his budget briefing so that he can comment to the media once it’s released, so it was up to Andrew Scheer to lead off, and he recited the tired lines about every dollar the government spending coming from the pockets of Canadians whether in taxes or inflation, and they were about to find out how much money the budget would take from Canadians’ pockets, and declared that they wanted an “affordable budget.” Steve MacKinnon thundering that this was a good day for the opposition because they would see that this is an affordable and historic budget that would build the country. Scheer then went onto the imaginary taxes and demanded the industrial carbon price he killed. MacKinnon said it was great news that those imaginary taxes weren’t in the budget. Scheer went on about the clean fuel standard, claiming that CRA collects it (utter nonsense), and Julie Dabrusin scoffed at this notion. Gérard Deltell took over in French to demand an affordable budget, and MacKinnon gave his “good news” talking point in French. Deltell quoted the “Food Professor,” meaning there was no credibility to be had, and Anna Gainey praised the good things that would be in the budget. Deltell then raised the industrial carbon price, still quoting the “Food Professor,” and Dabrusin again scoffed at imaginary taxes before praising the upcoming budget. 

Christine Normandin led for the Bloc, and she lambasted the planned cancellation of the two billion tree programme and the that the implementation was always going to be their issue. Tim Hodgson recited a bland statement about the budget. Normandin called out the government for abandoning even the meagre measures from Trudeau, and MacKinnon insisted that they would have climate measures as they invest in the future. Patrick Bonin gave his own condemnation of the cancellation and the climate capitulation plan, and Dabrusin insisted that they would continue to fight against climate change as they build Canada.

Round two, and Michael Barrett raised more of the imaginary “hidden taxes” (Long: This is a historic day; There is no food packaging tax, but we are cutting taxes), Raquel Dancho read another script of the same (MacKinnon: There is no tax; Rhonda Kirkland said the government was trying to “gaslight” by denying the existence of their imaginary taxes (Hajdu: Our budget will build Canada), Luc Berthold gave the French version of the same script (MacKinnon: There is no hidden tax; Joly: You are not only drumming up imaginary taxes, but we have reduced taxes for the Middle Class™ as we build the country),

Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay worried about China using forced and child labour, and demanded their bill on banning products using this labour get government support (Anand: We don’t support forced labour and will will continue to defend human rights), and Alexis Brunelle raised the genocide of the Uyghurs to also demand support for that bill (Anand: We are preoccupied with the treating of Uyghurs and we are working with international partners).

Sandra Cobena demanded the government stop mortgaging the future of young people (Gainey: Hooray our budget; Robertson: We are taking action by delivering on housing), Vincent Ho read another script on the same (Zerucelli: If you want an affordable budget, you have an opportunity to vote for one today; You keep voting against help for Canadians), and Jonathan  Rowe read the same script in a Newfoundland accent (Thompson: Our budget has training measures for young people).

Round three saw questions on imaginary taxes and an “affordable budget” (Dabrusin: There are no food packaging taxes; MacKinnon: There are no imaginary taxes, and they’re not in the budget either; You should support Bill C-4 that cuts taxes and ends the carbon levy; Gull-Masty: You can offer those single mothers and Indigenous children a future by voting for the budget; Lightbound: All of your words come from your leader’s office but you can support a budget that helps Canadians), the Supreme Court decision on Friday (Sahota: We are standing up for victims which is why we are making sweeping reforms in C-14, and you should support lawful access; You didn’t support our bill on protecting children online), Crown corporation executive bonuses (Robertson: We are focused on building affordable housing, but you keep voting against it), consultants (Long: Hooray for automatic federal benefits for people that need them; We will deliver for Canadians while you hand around one sheet all Question Period), demanding a Private Member’s Bill on first responders be passed at all stages (Fraser: We can collaborate in a non-partisan way and these factors are in C-14), coal mines in the Rocky Mountains (Dabrusin: We will fight for clean air and water while we build an economy), and corporate profits (Joly: We need to work together to make life more affordable, which is why we are encouraging more competition).

The Conservatives keep quoting the so-called “Food Professor” to insist that their imaginary “hidden taxes” are real. #QP

— Dale Smith (@journodale.bsky.social) 2025-11-04T19:48:35.398Z

It’s possible the Liberals are outpacing the Conservatives for slogans today. #QP

— Dale Smith (@journodale.bsky.social) 2025-11-04T19:51:29.462Z

Overall, it was not exactly an edifying day, and to be frank, the Liberals were probably worse for slogans than the Conservatives today, which makes the day utterly mind-numbing. The government was getting sharper in calling out that the imaginary taxes are imaginary, and actually just standing up and saying “these taxes don’t exist” and sitting down, which is needed, but there still need to be more dismantling of the talking points.

Otherwise, it was Frank Caputo’s turn to be the hard-ass on the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision last Friday, and to cast aspersions on the government for not doing enough, and once again, Ruby Sahota took the question and fumbled it rather than Sean Fraser—who was present—standing up and just saying that they are studying the decision and will come up with an appropriate legislative solution such as more tightly crafted criteria. It’s not that difficult. But they are just utterly incapable of being serious about this.

Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to Rachel Bendayan for a tailored dark eggplant suit with a crisps white shirt and a dark purple tie, and to Peter Fragiskatos for a dark grey three-piece suit with a crisp white shirt, matching pocket square and a pink paisley tie. Style citations go out to, and to Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay for a black jacket with a dark grey waistcoat, bright blue shirt, and a black spotted scarf tied as a comically oversized tie, and to Lisa Hepfner for a pleated cream too with pink florals under a pinkish-beige suit. Dishonourable mention goes out to Buckley Belanger for a black suit with a faded white shirt and a yellow and grey stripe tie.