The PM was in town but otherwise occupied, allegedly, nor Pierre Poilievre was present, even though his caucus was chuffed from his leadership review results over the weekend. In his stead, Melissa Lantsman led off, reading an angry script about food price inflation. François-Philippe Champagne was thrilled about the good news that they agreed to fast-track the GST rebate to help Canadians. Lantsman took a swipe at Champagne for failing to bring food price stability when he was industry minster, and Champange kept up his praise for the rebate. John Barlow called the Liberals the “literal definition of insanity” before reciting the food price inflation talking points, and this time Patty Hajdu listed organisations like Food Banks Canada and others who praised their measures. Barlow recited the Risible nonsense about imaginary “hidden taxes,” and Hajdu sang the praises of the various measures the Liberals put into place help families. Pierre Paul-Hus took over to read the French version of the same script, and Champagne returned to his praise for the rebate and the fast-tracking of the bill. On another round for the same, Champagne listed the other measures they are taking for the food supply chains.

Christine Normandin led for the Bloc, and she once again raised the problems with federal pension software, and Stephanie McLean read, in halting French, that the department is working to address any problems clients may encounter. Normandin took a swipe at the software contract, and Hajdu read her own assurances that 98 percent of recipients have gotten their payments, and for anyone who has an issue to come forward. Andréanne Larouche  recited the same again, and McLean haltingly read more assurances about the software and the benefits seniors receive. 

Round two, and Carol Anstey read the food inflation script with more Karen energy (Thompson: This is the same tired script, and I hear from your constituents to move ahead with our measures), Dominique Vien read the French version of the script (Provost: We have benefits that will help people in your riding; Climate has the highest impact on food prices), Connie Cody read the same script (Valdez: This credit will give 12 million people breathing room; Our measures to help supply chains will have an impact), Ted Falk read the same script again (MacKinnon:  Imaginary taxes, no plan for affordability, but we have a bill to give families relief).

Jean-Denis Garon worried about the consultations on high speed rail expropriations (MacKinnon: There were consultations and there will be more; This is based on the same wording as the province’s expropriation act).

Jasraj Hallan ignored the impacts of Trump’s trade war before demanding the wholesale destruction of environmental laws (Champagne: We will have the second-fasted growth in the G7; Joly: Here are companies with new jobs), Michael Guglielmin complained about small businesses closing (Valdez: We are taking measures to be our own best customers; Long: Canadian won’t take advice from the leader of a party who has never worked in the economy), and Eric Lefebvre read the French version of the same script (Joly: We are cutting taxes and bureaucracy and we are creating more jobs in Canada than the U.S.)

Round three saw questions on home prices (Robertson: Our plan is working to restore affordability; Provost: We will find solutions which is why we have made agreements with Quebec; Bendayan: We have a plan to double construction but our bill is stuck in committee; van Koeverden: You keep blocking our measures), auto worker job losses (Joly: We have been working with the sector and you have opposed our measures), loopholes that make Canadian companies complicit in international atrocities (Anand: We have the strongest export permit regime, and all permits suspended in 2024 remain suspension included to Israel).

Rhonda Kirkland claims that Carney is “stalling” on a trade deal with Trump. The absolute delusion on the Conservative benches… #QP

— Dale Smith (@journodale.bsky.social) 2026-02-02T20:05:51.100Z

Overall, the first half of QP was pretty much a rerun of any other day over the past week, but right around the middle was something new—a bunch of concern-trolling over the flat GDP numbers on Friday, but being very, very selective in terms of the causes. If you have read any GDP data for the past year, you would easily see that the biggest impact is the trade war that Trump has wrought, and if you listen to enough economists, it’s actually surprising that we haven’t slipped into recession because it turns out that we had more resiliency in our system than many of them initially estimated. But the Conservatives have an agenda, which is to push the false notion that it’s environmental legislation and “red tape” that is killing our economy, nothing to do with Trump. One Conservative MP even went so far as to criticise Carney for “stalling” trade talks with the US, when there is no deal to be had, and it’s utterly delusional to believe that there is anything we could do to fix that situation, because just bending the knee and turning ourselves into a vassal state won’t actually bring those auto jobs back. The fact that the Conservatives are pushing this narrative is not only dishonest, but it’s frankly sending dangerous signals.

Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to Jenny Kwan for a grey-checked belted v-necked dress under a black jacket, and to David Myles for a tailored navy suit with a white shirt and a dark red tie. Style citations go out to Kevin Waugh for an orange-tinged tan jacket with a grey windowpane pattern over a white shirt with navy slacks and a navy and pink striped tie, and to Madeleine Chenette for a beige-green jacket with a tight floral pattern over a purple v-necked top and black slacks.