Category Archives: Question Period

Recaps from Question Period in the House of Commons

Senate QP: Frustrated as an Albertan

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Following the swearing-in of five new senators, Senate QP got underway with special guest star, natural resources minister Amarjeet Sohi. Senator Larry Smith led off, asking about the Trans Mountain pipeline and research around diluted bitumen spills and the federal response. Sohi responded with a bit of a roundabout recap of the Federal Court of Appeal decision and the lack of marine considerations with the original NEB report, and now they were filling in that gap – but didn’t really respond to the question. Smith asked how this research played into the tanker ban on the northwest coast of BC. Sohi noted the ban didn’t apply to Trans Mountain, but that it was in place on the northern coast because of the lack on infrastructure there to deal with a spill, but natural gas from LNG was a different matter.

Senator Neufeld worried about low prices for natural gas versus high carbon prices, and Sohi reminded him that climate change is real and causing damage to coastal communities and forests, with billions of dollars in costs, meaning it was irresponsible for any government to ignore those costs, which is why they gave provinces the flexibility to price pollution in a way that makes sense to them, and cited the success of BC’s model.

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QP: No answers about “Jihadi Jack”

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With Justin Trudeau back in town, all of the leaders were present for QP, and most of the benches were pretty full. Andrew Scheer led off, concerned that “Jihadi Jack” was approached by Canadian officials to patriate him here. Trudeau took up a script to read that they they took terrorism seriously, and were collecting evidence to bring people to justice. Scheer asked again, more slowly, and Trudeau read the another script about travelling abroad for terrorist activity being a Criminal Code offence, but didn’t answer the question. Scheer tried a third time, and Trudeau put down the script this time to praise the work of intelligence agencies and security officials, and said they wouldn’t play politics with keeping Canadians safe. Scheer tried a fourth time, and this time Trudeau accused him of distorting events to create division. Scheer tried one last time, and Scheer accused him of grasping at straws to make Canadians feel unsafe. Guy Caron was up next, and he demanded more action on climate targets, and Trudeau read a script about all the good work they’ve done to date, taking a shot at the Conservatives and the NDP along the way. After another round of the same, Nathan Cullen took over in English, and cranked up the sanctimony as he repeated the question, and Trudeau said that while they have to do more, they are on track to meet their targets. Cullen railed again about Harper’s targets, and this time Trudeau noted that pricing pollution is part of the solution, as was investing in clean technology, citing the LNG agreement as an example of being good for both the environment and the economy.

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QP: Getting better terms – really!

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While Justin Trudeau was off in Toronto meeting business leaders, Andrew Scheer was present in QP, fresh off the plane from his trip to India. Sheer led off, reading his concerns about Canadian ISIS fighters being caught by Kurdish forces, and demanded that they be brought to justice. Bill Blair responded saying that they were taking the issue seriously, and were gathering evidence to ensure that they can be prosecuted. Scheer got up and lied about the government offering poetry classes to returning foreign fighters, to which Blair retorted that the previous government brought no returning fighters to justice either. Scheer switched to French to rail about the terms of the New NAFTA, to which Chrystia Freeland assured him that they got a good deal for Canada and listed people who praised the deal. Scheer insisted that the government capitulated on a number of fronts but didn’t get movement on steel and aluminium tariffs, and Freeland replied that this was Monday morning courage, and that they said she was being too tough in negotiations. Scheer retorted that they had a case of Sunday night panic and capitulated, to which Freeland said that the party opposite now wanted to capitulate on steel and aluminium tariffs, which they would not do. Guy Caron was up next and demanded faster action on climate change and to stop using half-measures, to which Dominic LeBlanc said that they had a coherent plan to fight climate change and to grow the economy. After another round of the same, before Rachel Blaney reiterated the question in English, and LeBlanc repeated his assurances in English. Blaney tried one more time, and LeBlanc gave his assurances with a little more punctuation.

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QP: Turning Canada to a vassal state

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It being the Thursday before a constituency week, the benches were getting a bit thinner, and none of the leaders (save Elizabeth May) were present. That left Alain Rayes to lead off, reading concerns about the Americans being able to weigh in on a potential trade deal with China, and wondered what Canada got in response. Marc Garneau got up to read that the ability to withdraw from an agreement was normal. Rayes railed about all of the various concessions made, and Garneau was “mystified” that the Conservatives didn’t applaud them for getting a deal. Michael Chong was up next, and raised our sacrifices in World War I before complaining that the Article 32 in the new NAFTA makes Canada a vassal state. Garneau insisted there was no loss of sovereignty, and that any party could leave the agreement with six months’ notice. Candice Bergen was up next, and she whinged that Trudeau acted like a bully and called them names on the issue of Tori Stafford’s killer. Jean-Yves Duclos got up to read that politicians can’t make determinations about the sentencing of individual prisoners. Bergen proposed a broad policy of preventing child killers from going to healing lodges, but Duclos repeated his script. Karine Trudel led off for the NDP, worrying about the steel and aluminium tariffs still being in place. Garneau got up to read that the tariffs weren’t justified, which was Canada was retaliating. On a second go-around, Garneau gave the same response, this time without script, before Tracey Ramsey repeated the question in English, with a bit of added condemnation. Garneau reiterated the response in English, and for her final question, Ramsey demanded a task force to help small businesses affected by the tariffs, and this time, Garneau took a few shots a the NDP’s dislike of trade agreements.

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QP: Ambulance chasing politics

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Following a morning of announcements including that of a renewed consultation with Indigenous communities on the Trans Mountain Expansion, all of the leaders were present for this week’s exercise of Porto-PMQs. Andrew Scheer led off, mini-lectern on desk, and wouldn’t you know it, Scheer led off on the latest outrage around Tori Stafford’s killer, and the coming vote the Conservatives are forcing on it. Justin Trudeau took a script to say that she was still in a medium security facility, and that the Act doesn’t allow the minister to intervene, but they have undertaken a review of the system. Scheer switched to dairy concession in the new NAFTA deal, and Trudeau took up another script to say that they have promised compensation to producers, and that this was just like ten TPP deal the Conservatives organised and celebrated. Scheer said that the TPP was done in exchange for other concessions unlike this deal. Trudeau dropped his script this time to praise the deal, and especially a list of Conservative luminaries. Scheer shot back that Trudeau needed all the help they could get, then railed about prescription drug costs raising because of IP provisions in NAFTA. Trudeau noted that the Conservatives never did anything about drug prices when they were in charge, and Scheer tried one last time to worry about steel and aluminium tariffs, and Trudeau took up a script again to read from Stephen Harper’s memo urging capitulation. Guy Caron then stood up for the NDP, and he railed about the Liberals apparently rewriting history around the elimination of Chapter 11 in the old NAFTA. Trudeau praised its elimination, and when Caron tried again in English, insisting that they were misleading the House over it. The Speaker admonished Caron for the insinuation, and he refused to apologised on the first time, but gave a grudging apology on the second time, to which Trudeau reiterate that they were pleased with Chapter 11’s elimination. Romeo Saganash then got up to accuse the government of not properly consulting with Indigenous groups, and Trudeau stated that they recognised there is a right process that they would follow. Saganash switched to French to insist that there is a right for those groups to say no, and Trudeau reiterated that there are different communities who want and don’t want projects, and they would do their best to ensure their concerns are heard.

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Senate QP: Duclos versus petulant questions

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It’s rare that there is drama around ministers appearing at Senate Question Period, but it happened today. While senators had initially been promised an appearance by finance minister Bill Morneau, he ended up jetting off to Vancouver with the prime minister for the LNG announcement. Apparently Senators were apprised at 11 AM that he wouldn’t be appearing due to “obligations related to NAFTA negotiations,” and the Conservatives got a bit miffed by the last-minute switch to minister Jean-Yves Duclos. Senator Larry Smith led off, noting that they expected Minister Morneau and would ask some questions to the government leader instead, and he launched into a broadside over the trade deal and he lack of action on steel and aluminium tariffs. Senator Harder said that the matter was subject to a stream that was different from the NAFTA agreement, and that the government was still negotiating on them.

Senator Eaton also asked about the clause in the new agreement about “non-market countries” and what it meant for trade with China. Harder responded that all agreements have clauses the termination of the agreement, and it wasn’t surprising and that this particular clause references the opportunity of all sides to review the agreements that any of the three partners might enter into with third parties and that the signatories to NAFTA aren’t disadvantaged.

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QP: Supply Management and prisons, ad nauseam

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With the PM off in Vancouver for the announcement of a major LNG project, the rest of the Commons was full and ready to go for QP. Andrew Scheer led off on the Supply Day topic of the day, around Tori Stafford’s killer, and demanded that she be put back in a facility that “looks like a prison” — never mind that the facility she used to be in didn’t have bars either. Ralph Goodale read his usual statement about ordering a review. Scheer then switched to the new NAFTA and the lack of softwood lumber tariff movement, to which Chrystia Freeland insisted that they got good things like eliminating Chapter 11, and removing a throttling of Canadian energy products. Sheer insisted that Canada only achieved losses and no gains, and Freeland read praise from Brian Mulroney in response. Alain Rayes took over to lament the lack of movement on aluminium tariffs, to which Freeland reminded him that they were advocating capitulation just weeks ago. Rayes tried again, and Freeland repeated the points about what they managed to get rid of, this time in French. Guy Caron was up next for the NDP, and caterwauled about Supply Management. Freeland insisted that they were preserving Supply Management for the future, and when Caron railed about the ways in which the government “caved,” Freeland assured him that they defended the sector in spite of American attempts to dismantle it, and that dairy farmers would be compensated. Tracey Ramsey raised the clause about the US being notified on trade talks with China, and after Freeland praised Ramsey, she insisted that we retained full sovereignty over our trade relationships. Ramsey then railed about steel and aluminium tariffs, and Freeland assured her that they were still behind the sector, and that the measured, dollar-for-dollar retaliatory measures were standing up for the sector.

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QP: NAFTA not good enough

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After a morning of press conferences and celebratory back-patting from the government on the conclusion of NAFTA talks, all of the leaders were in the Commons, and ready to go. Andrew Scheer led off, mini-lectern on desk, and he read his disappointment about concessions made to Supply Management. Trudeau enthused that it was a good agreement, and that they worked closely with the dairy industry and would continue to work so regarding compensation. Scheer worried that there were no gains, only losses, and worried in particular about Buy America policies. Trudeau continued to enthuse about the deal, and didn’t really answer about Buy America. Scheer lost his script, and listed other concessions, and asked after Buy America again. Trudeau took a shot at Stephen Harper advocating selling out before thanking Canadians for being united on the issue. Scheer then asked about softwood lumber tariffs, and Trudeau tut-tutted that the opposition thought it was a bad deal — but didn’t answer about softwood. Sheer asked after softwood again, and Trudeau again insisted it was a good deal. Guy Caron was up next for the NDP, who was worried that there were no gains on Indigenous or gender rights or the environment and they caved on Supply Management, and Trudeau pointed to the environmental protections now in the agreement that the old agreement didn’t have, and took a shot at the NDP not liking any deals. Caron railed about Supply Management being compromised, to which Trudeau insisted that they did protect Supply Management. Tracey Ramsey took over in English on her list of things she didn’t like in the agreement, and Trudeau insisted that yes, it was a progressive agreement, especially around labour rights and strengthened environmental protections. Ramsey demanded the deal be brought to the House of Commons, and Trudeau listed the unions that support the deal, and said they would bring it to Parliament in the ratification process.

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QP: Medium-security condos

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Nearly a full day after Donald Trump’s rambling press conference in which he made threats to NAFTA, and both Justin Trudeau and Andrew Scheer were present to face off. Scheer led off in French, and asked why Trudeau didn’t ask for a meeting with Trump in New York. Trudeau took up a script and stated that they were looking for a good deal and not any deal. Schemer switched to English to ask for assurances that there would be no new tariffs next week. Trudeau, still with a script, reiterated that they were looking for a good deal and that the Conservatives would sign any deal put in front of them. Scheer switched topics, and returned to the issue of Tori Stafford’s killer, and Scheer reminded him that she was moved from maximum to medium security under the Conservatives in 2014, and that the Conservatives themselves said that they don’t have the power to affect the security classification of prisoners. Scheer insisted that Stafford’s killer was being moved from behind razor wire and bars to a “condo,” and that the Act gives the government the power to Act. Trudeau accused Scheer of playing word games of his own, and when Scheer tried again, Trudeau reminded him that she remains in medium security. Guy Caron was up next for the NDP, and worried about Energy East being revived, and Trudeau reminded him that the company withdrew their proposal because of market conditions. Caron switched to English to worry about CSIS spying on environmtal activists, and Trudeau reached for a script to say that they respect the right to protest but that the complaints about CSIS were looked into by SIRC and dismissed. Romeo Saganash wanted the entire Cabinet to meet with Indigenous knowledge keepers to understand the meaning of free prior and informed consent, and Trudeau said that they were working forward reconciliation and meeting with First Nations who both supported and opposed projects. Saganash asked again in French, and Trudeau reminded him that not all Indigenous communities oppose projects.

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QP: Playing politics with a child murderer

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While the PM was fresh off the plane from New York to attend QP, just in time for his photo-PMQ exercise. Andrew Scheer led off, reading some condemnation about a child murderer being transferred from a federal prison to an Aboriginal healing lodge. Trudeau said that they have asked officials to review the decision. Scheer repeated the question in English, demanding action and not a review, and Trudeau read the same response in English. Scheer demanded that the PM reverse the decision, and this time, Trudeau read a response from Steven Blaney when he was minister in 2013 about the government not controlling the security classification. Scheer insisted that the government had tools to use to reverse the decision, to which Trudeau said that she was always classified as medium security, and they were ensuring that people do their jobs. Scheer laid on the fears that parents have about this kind of killer, and Trudeau said he would let Canadians make the determination as to who is politicising the situation, and that the prisoner in question remained in a medium security facility. Ruth Ellen Brosseau led off for the NDP, pointing to outstanding gender inequities in the Indian Act. Trudeau responded that they had taken great steps, but still had work to do. Rachel Blaney repeated the question in English, and this time Trudeau read a statement saying that the numbers in the media were inflated and incorrect, but they were still working to reform the Indian Act. Niki Ashton demanded housing for First Nations, and Trudeau said that they were moving forward to correct the situation with $8.6 billion in investments, and that their forthcoming National Housing Strategy has an Indigenous component. Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet repeated the question in French, and Trudeau reiterated the same response.

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