The PM was in town and in the building, but was meeting with premiers instead of being at QP, which was mighty unusual for a Wednesday, but that’s Mark Carney for you. Pierre Poilievre was also absent, so it was up to Gérard Deltell to lead off in French, where he listed the nonsense “hidden taxes” as it relates to food price inflation, and François-Philippe Champagne responded with praise for their GST rebate and the other investments promised in the same announcement. Deltell reiterated the nonsense about the “gas tax,” to which Champagne praised the government’s actions, while the Conservatives only have rhetoric. Tim Uppal took over in English to make the specious arguments, and Julie Dabrusin noted that Poilievre represents one of the biggest canola-growing ridings in the country, and noted how much they stand to benefit from clean fuel regulations and biofuels. On  another go-around, Champagne admonished them to support their benefits. Lianne Rood read another tired script of the same, and Patty Hajdu noted that the Conservatives liked to raise the plight of food banks, they are now fighting against supports for them. Rood accused the government of “gaslighting” (that’s not what that means, guys), and Hajdu raised the other support for families like child care and the school food programme. 

Yves-François Blanchet rose for the Bloc, and said that the promised lifting of Chinese tariffs on pork has not happened, and worried the government created false hopes. Anita Anand said they were working with partners and diversifying trade relationships. Blanchet was not mollified by this answer, and demanded more specifics. Anand said that discussions were ongoing with China, including pork, and they they are working in Canada’s interests. Blanchet then wondered about action on forestry, and Champagne said they are working with the industry and have invested hundreds of millions of dollars.

Round two, and Sandra Cobena returned to the scripts on food inflation (van Koeverden: We took the advice of Food Banks Canada, and the industrial carbon price has a negligible effect; Farmers know the biggest driver of food prices is climate change), Leslyn Lewis read the same script with added conspiracism (McLean: Here is another report that says that our plan will make a real difference; I don’t understand why you’re opposed to feeding families), and Marilyn Gladu read the same script again with laboured emphasis (Valdez: We cut taxes for Canadians), and Anna Roberts read the same script with added volume (McLean: Our actions show compassion for seniors).

Andréanne Larouche returned to her question from yesterday on software problems for OAS payments (Hajdu: The department is processing payments toward a better system, and only 0.2 percent of payments have been affected, and anyone affected should contact Service Canada; MacKinnon: We take the situation seriously, but we have modernised the system and we ask affected people to contact Service Canada).

Scott Aitchison worried about the slowing pace of new home building (Robertson: We have brought forward the first-time buyers’ GST break; You obstructed bills that would provide relief, and we have record annual construction in several cities), Jacob Mantle recited the same (Robertson: Build Canada Homes is gearing up to be a one-stop shop), Tako Van Popta read the same again (Blois: Here are measures we are taking that Conservatives are obstructing), and Bernard Généroux demanded affordable housing in Quebec (Bendayan: Hooray for our GST rebate benefit).

I see that @mikepmoffatt.bsky.social’s latest report is getting some play in #QP today.

— Dale Smith (@journodale.bsky.social) 2026-01-28T19:47:27.892Z

Round three saw questions on the Conservatives’ bananapants “Sovereignty Act” bill (MacKinnon: We are diversifying trade markets and building our country up; These ideas were put to an election and you lost; Zerucelli: You lost the election but we are going to build; Long: We are focused on building the economy while you are focused on obstruction; Thompson: This is just more obstruction; Hogan: We are making progress with things like the MOU with Alberta; Hajdu: Here is how we are helping Northern Ontario), closing an agricultural research centre (MacDonald: We are investing in the sector), extortions (Sahota: Support lawful access), the Emergencies Act ruling (MacKinnon: You keep endorsing the convoy occupation), forestry jobs (Guay: The federal government has supports for the sector and we encourage provincial governments to work with us), and federal job cuts as it relates to marine responses (Ali: Canned lines about efficiencies).

Ruby Sahota is outright lying to make the case for lawful access. It doesn’t take police six months to get a warrant to connect a phone number or IP address to a suspect. That is outright false. #QP

— Dale Smith (@journodale.bsky.social) 2026-01-28T20:08:45.036Z

Overall, there was an odd vibe for Thursday-on-a-Wednesday, without the two main leaders present for caucus day, while the day played out mostly as a retread of everything else from the week, everyone reciting the same canned lines, with only one minor deviation about the closure of that agricultural research centre, and citing the latest Missing Middle Initiative report on housing affordability for young people, and even then, the questions were somewhat tortured in trying to fit them into existing attack lines. The whole exercise has been absolutely uninspired and tired when the world is in such a dire and precarious place, and what’s happening in QP is just turning out to be so very provincial, petty, and jejune.

Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to Rob Oliphant for a tailored navy suit suit a crisp white shirt and a dark purple tie, and to Rachel Bendayan for a taupe suit over a low-cut navy top. Style citations go out to Anna Roberts for a navy suit over a black and good striped top layered over a black turtleneck, and go Ernie Klassen for a grey checkerboard suit over a pale pink shirt and a purple tie.