The PM was absent, even though he was in the building, while Pierre Poilievre also stayed away. That left it up to Luc Berthold led off in French, and he retreaded yesterday’s talking points about the government’s increase in American procurement dollars instead of investing in Canada. Joël Lightbound was theatrically outraged that Berthold was so dismissive about the plans for building new icebreakers, or VIA Rail trains. Berthold said that the government was all talk with no results, and accused the prime minister of sending more money to the US because that’s where the bulk of his investments were located. Lightbound said that those investments mean 17,000 jobs in one riding, and 5300 jobs in another. Kyle Seeback took over in English, and he also decried the fact that there was an increase in procurement dollars going to the U.S. Lightbound shrugged this off as beneficiaries include some in his colleague’s riding. Seeback insisted that these dollars were just illusions, and Lightbound turn insisted that there was a decision to increase Canadian content, which included the LAVs in his colleague’s riding. Andrew Lawton took over to ask the same question, but louder and smarmier, and this time Tim Hodgson listed Jon’s from major investments, and said that the Conservatives can’t tell the difference between someone investing in Canada and someone who is crapping on Canada, which the Speaker cautioned him about. Lawton tried again, louder and with even more egregious smarm, and this time Stephen Fuhr patted himself on the back for the procurements they have announced.

Christine Normandin led for the Bloc, and decried the ability of the government to simply override environmental standards using their Henry VIII powers. Stephen MacKinnon said that going faster doesn’t mean fewer standards (erm, really?). Normandin suggested that Carney was trying to govern by decree, and Dominic LeBlanc shrugged this off as Normandin trying to get a clip for TVA. Mario Simard took over to ask the same question, and Julie Dabrusin patted herself on the back for their clean electricity plans such as Churchill Falls.

Round two, and John Barlow decried high diesel prices hitting farmers and demanded support for the Conservatives’ “emergency relief plan” (MacDonald: We are supporting farmers and we are incentivising biodiesel; Hodgson: You should vote for C-38 to legislate the excise tax cut), Carol Anstey wanted to speak to the manager about diesel prices (Thompson: You should be telling your constituents about the enhanced GST credit that went out this week, and you should support C-38; Your constituents support our programmes), Jeremy Patzer raised a farmer in his riding worrying about diesel prices (Belanger: You guys don’t actually have a plan), and Jacques Gourde tried again en français (Champagne: Why don’t you vote in favour of C-38?; We will vote for action while you just put forward motions).

Andréanne Larouche returns to the problems with the Curam pension software (Hajdu: The modernised system is ensuing that millions of Canadians are receiving their pensions every month; Lightbound: The old system was going to fail while we are fixing issues with the new system).

Shannon Stubbs excitedly read the script about diesel prices (Hodgson: We have taken 25 cents off the price of diesel; Vote for C-38), Leslyn Lewis read the same script with careful enunciation (MacDonald: Global market prices are up because of the Strait of Hormuz, and we already cut the carbon levy and suspended the excise tax; Long: We will focus on affordability and have already cut taxes and paused the fuel excise tax), and Cheryl Gallant tried again (Blois: We have taken action).

Round three saw questions on CRA’s delays (Long: I want to thank the CRA for their delivery and we improved service over that 100-day plan), the women’s entrepreneurial loan programme (Valdez: The strategy helped empower 600,000 women to entrepreneurs around the country, and we have replenished the fund), diesel prices (Bendayan: Hooray for the enhanced GST credit; You just oppose our plans to help), procurement dollars going to the U.S. (Lightbound: We made a choice to prioritize Canadian content; Fuhr; Foreign direct investment matters, and we can support companies that invest in Canada alongside Canadian companies; MacKinnon: You should get out of the way and support Alto), severance for the PrescribeIT CEO (Michel: This is before the courts; Health InfoWay has received no funding this year, and we are waiting for the audit), agricultural research (MacDonald: Research is continuing, and that particular facility continues to do research), First Nations who have not consented to the Pacific Link (Hodgson: There are two different rounds of consultations, and there is another round), and Republican operatives working with Alberta separatists (Olszewski: I am disturbed by this reporting, and we need Albertans to make their voices heard and to decisively vote to remain in Canada).

Overall, because it was a Conservative Supply Day, they spent the whole second round and part of the third all reading the same scripts about their so-called diesel “emergency relief plan,” which is just the usual nonsense about the Clean Fuel Standard and the industrial carbon price, which doesn’t really apply in this situation. And lo, they also kept using the same “clever” line about how people can’t eat press releases, because that was funny the first time months ago, but here it is, over and over and over again. The Buy Canadian questions didn’t get any better today than they were yesterday, except it included a worse cast of characters asking. 

Otherwise, there were a few other questions in the third round that added some variety, which was a nice change of pace, but I will add that I was disappointed by the response on the American operatives/Alberta separatists story, where it was just some vague concern and encouraging people to get out the vote. The fact that the federal government is downplaying outright sedition is a curious look, even if they think they don’t want to make these separatist losers into victims.

Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to Carlos Leitão for a tailored dark grey suit with a crisp white shirt and a maroon tie, and to Carol Anstey for an off-white suit over a black scoop-necked top. Style citations go out to Ginette Lavack for a moss green smock dress with off white and pale blue florals across it, and to Xavier Barsalou-Duval for a caramel-brown suit with a white shirt and black tie. Dishonourable mention goes out to Anita Vandenbeld for a black top with gold and yellow leaves across it, and black slacks.