Some two hours before QP got underway, the news hit the wires — that Nigel Wright was being charged by the RCMP for breach of trust, and a raft of documents was released that showed just how much Wright and the PMO were trying to stage-manage things in the Senate. Add to that, all of the major party leaders were in the House, so it was going to be an explosive day. When QP began, Thomas Mulcair started by asking if Harper wanted to change any of the testimony that he had given on the ClusterDuff scandal so far. Harper responded that he had been clear, and the charges showed that it was indeed Duffy and Wright were the individuals involved. Mulcair pointed to the documents that Harper was aware of the payment, but Harper insisted that he only knew that Duffy said that he was going to repay the expenses but didn’t know the details. Mulcair wondered what Harper had approved, but Harper read from the same documents to show that he wasn’t informed. Mulcair wondered what “good to go” referred to in the documents, but Harper reiterated that he thought that Duffy was going to repay his own expenses. Mulcair closed his first round by asking about the statement that he wasn’t aware when the documents showed that Wright went to him for approval. Harper continued to repeat the line that he only knew that Duffy agreed to repay his expenses. Trudeau was up next, and wondered if the Prime Minister still believed that he had no responsibility for the corruption in his own office. Harper insisted that the documents proved it was limited to the two individuals. Trudeau reiterated his call that the Prime Minister testify under oath, but Harper repeated the same line. Trudeau invoked Brent Rathgeber’s statement that the party had become what they once mocked — to which Rathgeber shrugged — and demanded Harper tell the truth. Harper responded that it was Liberal senators who voted not to punish those embattled senators, and threw in a China dig in there as well.
Category Archives: Question Period
QP: A few lengthy detours
With the Rob Ford sideshow slowing down enough so as not to consume the news cycle whole, and with the leaders back in the House today, it was setting up to be a much more lively QP than yesterday’s rather sedate hour. Thomas Mulcair started off with giving the Prime Minister a chance to address the relief efforts for the typhoon in the Philippines, which Harper dutifully did to much applause. Mulcair then moved onto asking if Harper had any regrets of his role in the ClusterDuff affair. Harper rejected the premise of the question, and said that he was disappointed with Wright and Duffy when he found out. Mulcair asked which members of Harper’s staff have been questioned by the RCMP, even offering up names that have been mentioned. Harper insisted that this was all Wright’s responsibility, and both he and Duffy have been sanctioned. Justin Trudeau started his round off by congratulating the government for its typhoon response, and asked if they would extend the deadline for matching donations and visas for students and foreign workers in Canada. Harper said that moving forward, they would extend the needed flexibility as need be. Trudeau moved onto the topic of judicial obstruction by the Conservative staffers, some of whom are now in the PMO, and wondered why there were delays in the false robocall investigations. Harper hit back by pointing out that Trudeau’s lack of support for mandatory minimums meant that he didn’t believe in accountability in the justice system.
QP: Paul Calandra, once again
With the Rob Ford sideshow still sucking the oxygen out of the news cycle, and none of the leaders in the House, it was either going to be a quiet QP, or an utter gong show — rarely is it anything in between when the leaders are away. Megan Leslie stated off by asking a question about the relief efforts to the Philippines after the typhoon. Chrisitian Paradis stood up to laud the efforts of the DART, and that the government commitments to relief stand at nearly $40 million. Nycole Turmel was up next, and asked about the expedited immigration for those affected. Costas Menegakis reiterated some of the measures that the government was taking. Turmel and Leslie then returned to the issue of ClusterDuff timelines, but Paul Calandra responded with the usual lines about how the Prime Minister was unaware of what happened. For her final question, Leslie asked about the revelations about Michael Sona being in Aruba when he allegedly bragged about the robocall scheme — which isn’t actually government business — and Calandra didn’t really give an answer in any case. For the Liberals, Ralph Goodale returned to the topics of the staffers in the PMO involved in the ClusterDuff affair, but Paul Calandra told him to repeat the allegations outside of the Chamber. For the final question, Marc Garneau asked about a February 20th email that directed some PMO staff to assist Senator Duffy, and why were they still employed? Calandra insisted that the PM was clear that he wouldn’t have stood for these actions.
QP: Searching for clues in the PMO
As yet another Rob Ford video hit the media and drew out all of the oxygen of the news cycle, Question Period got underway, the benches in the Commons a little emptier than usual for a Thursday. Thomas Mulcair started off back in prosecutorial mode, and asked who in the PMO was interviewed by the RCMP. Harper assured him that the PMO wasn’t under investigation — Mike Duffy was. Mulcair wondered what documents the RCMP were requesting, but Harper would only say that they were cooperating. Mulcair asked if Harper personally knew about requests for the party to pay for Duffy’s expenses. Harper insisted that he’s been clear, and that he told Duffy to repay his expenses. Mulcair brought up the contradictions in the story to date, but Harper insisted that the facts were clear, that Duffy made inappropriate claims and took a cheque he wasn’t supposed to. When Mulcair brought up Harper’s quote from the days of the sponsorship scandal, Harper said that the $40 million in taxpayer dollars from sponsorship was completely different from the Duffy situation. Dominic LeBlanc led off for the Liberals, and asked if any documents from Chris Woodcock were turned over to the RCMP. Paul Calandra took the hit for this one, and said that they were cooperating and then accused the Liberals in the Senate of fighting for the status quo. Ralph Goodale picked it up, and asked if Woodcock was ever asked about his participation in events. Calandra simply insisted that the Liberals were awful.
QP: Alliterative accusations
With the Senate suspension motions now passed, it was a countdown to see how quickly Harper would invoke the talking point that things were now in the hands of the RCMP, and that he couldn’t comment. When QP got started, Thomas Mulcair started by decrying the alliterative “culture of cover-up and corruption” in the PMO. Harper for up to point out that Wright too responsibility, and he then congratulated the Senate for passing the suspensions. Mulcair wanted to ensure that there was no repayment for any “eeeee-legal” expenses, but Harper repeated his answer. Mulcair asked if Jenni Byrne, who was then with the party and now in the PMO, had any part in the repayment scheme. Harper accused Mulcair of flinging mud out of desperation. Mulcair asked the same again with regards to Irving Gerstein, to which the Speaker warned him that this was straying into party business. Harper said that Mulcair was trying to widen the net of blame, and another attempt at the same question yielded no results. Justin Trudeau was up, and wondered if the PM would allow a free vote on their motion to have him go before committee and testify under oath. Harper instead hit back and accused Liberal senators of trying to defend their entitlements. Trudeau pressed again, insinuating that whipping the vote was to participate in a cover-up. Harper continued to insist that the Liberals in the Senate who wanted the embattled three to get off without sanction (which is, of course, not true).
QP: In the shadow of Rob Ford
With Toronto Mayor Rob Ford’s admission that he smoked crack cocaine crowding out the news cycle, and the upcoming votes on suspensions in the Senate keeping the anticipation there, it was likely that a bombshell of epic proportions could be dropped in the Commons and it wouldn’t make the news. It didn’t happen, but it quite possibly could have. Thomas Mulcair led off QP with a bit of a soliloquy, and brought up the meme of week about how he “couldn’t care less” instead of showing contrition. Harper got up and waxed as poetically as is possible for him, talking about the honour of public service and that he wanted sanction for those senators who broke the rules. Mulcair brought up that these were Harper’s appointments, but Harper continued to insist that they wanted rule-breaking senators to face the consequences. Mulcair turned to the letter the RCMP wrote to Duffy’s lawyer that was asking for documents, to which Harper asserted that the letter was to Duffy’s lawyer and that they have been cooperating with the RCMP. Mulcair wanted all documents related to the ClusterDuff affair tabled in the House, but Harper assured him that he had no role in the affair. Justin Trudeau was up for the Liberals, and asked if Senator Gerstein mentioned Wright’s scheme to repay Duffy between February and May. Harper asserted that he had no idea, and Trudeau pounced, wondering why Gerstein still had his position if he was involved. Harper asserted that the actions in question were those of Wright and Duffy, and then reached for the cudgel of the Liberal senators supposedly “blocking” the sanctions.
QP: No post-convention high
None of the major leaders were in the House today, and even the Conservative caucus was somewhat subdued, even after a weekend spent sipping the Kool-Aid among the party faithful on the weekend. Megan Leslie led off for the NDP, and inquired about the latest version of events as proffered by Senator Gerstein on Saturday. Paul Calandra gave the basic version of events in response — that Wright made the repayment and that they wanted to suspend those three senators, but nothing on Gerstein’s comments. Leslie wondered when the PM had first spoken with Gerstein about the repayment, but Calandra didn’t answer the question. Leslie asked which version of events the PM believed, but Calandra reiterated that Wright took responsibility and was no longer working in the PMO as a result. Nycole Turmel took up the same again in French, and when Calandra responded in English, Turmel complained about the fact. Calandra responded that while he is still learning French, he didn’t want to give any wrong answers because of his a own mistranslation. Ralph Goodale was up for the Liberals, and asked if Gerstein was an “integral part” of the deception around Duffy’s repayment, but Calandra responded by hectoring the Liberal senators for not passing the suspensions. When Goodale pushed, Calandra claimed that Liberals in the House were also somehow standing in the way, not that it makes any sense. When Goodale listed the many people implicated in the coverup, Calandra insisted the opposition was making a victim out of Duffy.
QP: Calandra deflects
It was Friday hours on a Thursday, given the courtesy granted to the Conservatives for their convention, and attendance was only slightly better than any given Friday. The final member’s statement before QP was given to Conservative Corneliu Chisu, who played up his native Transylvanian accent to warn about how scary the Liberal leader and his plans were, which is now a Halloween tradition for the Conservatives. Nathan Cullen started off QP proper by asking how many cheques were written on Duffy’s behalf, but Paul Calandra, after a message about safety on Halloween, gave the usual talking points about how Wright took full responsibility and so on. Cullen asked how many people in the PMO knew about the payment. Calandra decried that the NDP didn’t want to talk about to talk about the economy. Cullen raised the spectre of the Liberal sponsorship scandal, and Cullen reminded him that they wanted to form a coalition government with then. Nicole Turmel was up next, asking when Harper last spoke to Nigel Wright, but Calandra simply insisted that they wanted to talk about more important issues. For the Liberals, Ralph Goodale asked for an itemised invoice from Duffy’s lawyer to demonstrate why they charged $13,000. Calandra brought up the sponsorship scandal and the alleged cheque to Joe Fontana from Public Works to pay for its son’s wedding. When Goodale wanted to know how Harper couldn’t know given how many people in his inner sanctum, Calandra responded by calling the Liberals snakes and accused their senators of standing in the way. When Goodale brought up Duffy’s allegation that he was coached to lie, Calandra mused about what Justin Trudeau thought about Chrsytia Freeland talking about people not having their father’s job.
QP: Harper hitting back
Both Harper and Mulcair were back in the House, and ready for another round. Mulcair began with giving Harper a chance to be “crystal clear” as to whether Nigel Wright resigned or was fired. Harper said that they agreed that his actions were improper which was why he was no longer working in the PMO. Mulcair pressed in French, but Harper dodged once again and repeated the answer in French. Mulcair asked how many cheques were issued to Duffy as “hush money,” which Harper called a false allegation and reminded him that parties help members with legal assistance. Mulcair wondered if a $90,000 payment was a valid legal expense, and Harper assured him that it was not a party expense, and that NDP MPs were also provided with “substantial legal assistance.” Mulcair wondered what was done by the law firm on behalf of the PM that was worth $13,000. Harper simply repeated the line about legal assistance, and further alleged that the NDP paid damages on Mulcair’s behalf in a lawsuit. With Justin Trudeau in Calgary to deliver a speech on energy, it was up to Ralph Goodale to lead off, and he asked when Harper first heard that his staff had counselled Duffy to lie. Paul Calandra got up in Harper’s stead and accused the Liberals of making victims of the three senators plus former senator Mac Harb. Goodale wondered why Harper took a weekend to decide that Wright needed to be fired after previously being called “honourable.” Calandra assured him that the PM was clear, and hey, pipelines! Goodale pressed one last time, and listed the many ethical lapses on Harper’s part. The Speaker warned him about veering into party business, but Calandra got up instead and regaled a parable about his children getting an allowance.
QP: The Mulcair and Harper show
Thomas Mulcair launched QP with a bit of a soliloquy about how he was just in Brandon, Manitoba, where people were disgusted with the scandal and mess, and wondered why the PM kept changing his story. Harper rather demurely dismissed the notion that his story had changed, but asserted that those who broke the rules were no longer on the public payroll, as he hoped those senators would soon be. Mulcair pressed — Duffy said there were at least two cheques, and could he say what they were. Harper asserted, straight-faced, that the party regularly reimburses members of its caucus for legal expenses, but Duffy’s abuse of taxpayer dollars should be enough to have him removed from the Senate. Mulcair wanted to know who knew of this second cheque but Harper simply repeated his answer. For his final question of the round, Mulcair wondered somewhat rhetorically how many lawyers it took for “no legal agreement.” Harper asserted that he didn’t know what Mulcair was referring to. Justin Trudeau got up next, and brought up the contradictions once again and demanded that Harper testify under oath. Harper rejected the premise of the question, and went on a tear about how awful Duffy was and how he wanted him removed from the payroll. When pressed, Harper went further about Duffy’s sins and how he hasn’t paid back a single cent from his own funds, which was wrong. When Trudeau tried one last time to impress upon Harper the need to testify under oath, Harper returned to his earlier talking points.