The PM was finally present for the first time in two weeks, and all of the other leaders were present. Pierre Poilievre led off in French, and he blamed “out of control” government spending for rising inflation which is why the Bank of Canada raised interest rates, which is not what the Bank said at all. Mark Carney thanked him for that lesson on monetary policy and pointed to the Bank’s statement that the inflationary factors were coming from outside Canada, and then pointed to projected growth rates. Poilievre insisted that this as an admission that Carney’s policies caused inflation, and that Canadians are the most indebted in the G7, so they would suffer under higher rates. Carney said they needed to reconcile the discrepancies between their statements, and repeated the Growth projections. Poilievre switched to English to repeat his same pronouncement that government spending and deficits were fuelling inflation, and that was the reason rates were rising. Carney repeated that the Bank was clear the causes were global and he cited the various cuts his government has made to spending. Poilievre again proclaimed the falsehood that spending was driving inflation, and Carney repeated the levels of his cuts. Poilievre selectively cited the Bank’s statement and blamed the clean fuel standard, and Carney again pointed out that the Bank’s statements were all on the record, and spoke about the price of diesel. Poilievre again insisted that Carney was out of touch, listed food banks and housing reports, and railed about affordability. Carney responded by listing measures for Canadians that Poilievre voted against. 

Poilievre is blaming government spending on the inflation that raises interest rates. The Bank of Canada was clear that this is because of global forces, especially gas prices. Too bad Carney can’t spell that out. #QP

— Dale Smith (@journodale.bsky.social) 2026-10-28T18:36:00.472Z

Yves-François Blanchet led for the Bloc, and noted that while Carney was hosting the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi while the UAE funds the conflict in Sudan, and compared this to the premier of Quebec not being allowed to speak at the EU summit. Carney noted that he gave PSPP a chance to greet the dignitaries and to sit at his table. Blanchet listed other countries with human rights abuses Carney was doing business with but wouldn’t deal with PSPP. Carney insisted they were doing business and raising issues. Blanchet started off on the wrong question, stopped, and restarted by demanding PSPP be allowed to speak at the summit. Carney said that the Quebec delegation already had four meetings, and that this was just the beginning of talks. 

Round two, and Poilievre got back up to rail that the clean fuel standard was being achieved with American-sourced biofuels (Champagne: Hooray for our fiscal position; Hooray for our suspending the excise fuel tax; Hodgson: This is creating demand for Canadian canola and raising prices for it), he returned to the lie that government spending was fuelling inflation, but in French (Champagne: Canadians can see for themselves this is coming from global factors; Canadians can build everything on our own and we have free trade with every other G7 country), and then he raised the bellyaching from PSPP about not speaking at the EU summit (Lightbound: The right thing is getting closer to the EU, and the Quebec delegation helped prepare this summit and all premiers are invited to attend).

Poilievre is now ignoring that his own riding has a biodiesel facility that is supplying Canadian biofuels to meet the clean fuel standard, nor will the government point this fact out. #QP

— Dale Smith (@journodale.bsky.social) 2026-10-28T18:38:48.295Z

Mario Simard carried on the bellyaching on PSPP’s behalf (Lightbound: The Bloc only exists to be indignant; The Bloc seems to think we’re doing too much for Quebec as they’re compliant about how much else we’re doing for Quebec).

Sandra Cobena retuned to the lie that government spending is driving inflation (Solomon: You are just talking down the economy; You voted against help for Canadians), Adam Chambers tried the same script of falsehoods (Valdez: Hooray for our benefit programmes), Dominique Vien read the lie-filled script en français (MacKinnon: You vote against supports for people in your own riding; Gainey: We have made the school food programme permanent and we reduced the gas tax).

Frequent heckler John-Paul Danko gets a backbench suck-up question, and the Conservatives boo him down. So fucking juvenile. #QP

— Dale Smith (@journodale.bsky.social) 2026-10-28T18:50:29.944Z

The Speaker is not controlling the noise. “Help me out, guys,” he pleads to no avail. Kick people out! Take away questions! #QP

— Dale Smith (@journodale.bsky.social) 2026-10-28T18:53:13.121Z

Round three saw questions on Stelco (Joly: The question is not the letter, it’s whether the Conservatives are in favour of protecting jobs; We take the owner’s admission of anticompetitive behaviour seriously and will take action), demanding supply-side reforms on productivity and wages (MacKinnon: There is a trade war and a war in Iran, and the G7 will be led by Canada despite this; You vote against supports for people), the deficit (Long: You voted against feeding hungry children; Hooray for our benefits and tax cuts), demanding the PM appear at finance committee (Champagne: You have spent the day talking down the economy when the Bank of Canada pointed to external factors; MacKinnon: What do you consider inflationary spending?), oil by rail to the BC north coast vs the tanker ban (Hodgson: The new BC Conservative premier is not in favour; MacKinnon: Let me take the opportunity to congratulate the Port of Vancouver for a record number of shipments), cuts to Parks Canada search and rescue sniffer dogs (Grant: Thanks to civil servants), section 107 of the Labour Code (MacKinnon: Sometimes we need tools, but C-39 puts in guardrails).

How is the government supposed to get a tariff-free steel deal? Pray tell. FFS, guys. #QP

— Dale Smith (@journodale.bsky.social) 2026-10-28T18:56:23.445Z

Overall, I find myself absolutely exasperated by what transpired. Pierre Poilievre stood up repeatedly and lied about what the Bank of Canada said in their interest rate decision. His MPs also then lied about what the Bank said, because they have a particular narrative that is so completely economically illiterate that it should be laughed out of the room every time it gets mentioned. But what happened instead? Mark Carney, a former central banker, gave a one line response that the Bank said the factors were global, and then patted himself on the back for their growth projections, which Poilievre then took as an admission that the factors were domestic. Carney could have actually quoted from the Bank’s statement. He could have given a lesson in monetary policy for the edification of the public. At one point, the had a minister say “Canadians can see for themselves that’s not true,” and carried on their good-news talking points. Can they? Could a single fucking minister read a passage from the Bank’s statement to counter the obvious lies and disinformation coming from the opposition? How is that so difficult? I feel like I’m taking crazy pills.

Meanwhile, Poilievre also got up to rail that the clean fuel standard—whose costs he keeps citing false numbers to denounce—and how producers were importing American biofuels to meet the standards. On previous occasions, the government has pointed out that his very riding has a new biodiesel facility that is buying Canadian canola—and raising the prices of it—to produce these cleaner fuels, but could anyone mention that today? Of course not. This was the perfect opportunity to actually both defend the policy and point out the good it’s doing for farmers, and Tim Hodgson fumbled the ball because he has zero ability to do QP, and it’s been almost a year-and-a-half. This is rank incompetence at this point, guys.

Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to Arielle Kayabaga for a button-up white sweater over black slacks, and to John Paul Danko for a dark grey suit with a subtle grid pattern over a white shirt with a blue paisley tie and pocket square. Style citations go out to Kevin Waugh for a milk chocolate brown jacket over black slacks, a white shirt, and a navy stripe tie, and to Tamara Kronis for burgundy dress with yellow and blue florals.