It’s sometimes amazing what a bit of adult
supervision can do for question period – but I’m not sure that today was really
that day. Harper may have been back in the House, and as a result the surreal
and non-reality-based rhetoric was toned down slightly (not that it stopped
Dean Del Mastro from demonstrating his blatherskite nature), but at least it
wasn’t quite so bizarre as it was yesterday. Nycole Turmel began with the very
same question about untrue accusations about using US calling companies for
robo-calls, and Harper instead called for the New Democrats to release their own calling
records, saying that everyone else was being transparent but them. Pat Martin
tried to ask about the contracts to calling company RMG, but when he said he
didn’t want a smartass answer, the House went insane until the Speaker asked
him to rephrase the question. And when Bob Rae wondered why the government
wouldn’t give the chief electoral officer the additional powers he’d asked for,
Harper shrugged and said that they made all of their information available to
Elections Canada.
Round two carried on with Charlie Angus and
Alexandre Boulerice asking about the secret payments to RackNine in the Guelph
case (Del Mastro: You’re making “exaggerated allegations”); François Lapointe
asked about RMG making harassing calls in Quebec ridings in the election
(Poilievre: No); and David Christopherson returned to the question of chief electoral officer powers (Del Mastro: The former CEO, Jean-Pierre Kingsley,
says they have enough powers); and Peter Julian asked about budget choices
(Glover: Yay, our budget!). Frank Valeriote listed off the various documented
misdirection cases; Marc Garneau asked about the investigation into unreported
spending in Guelph; and Carolyn Bennett asked for the scripts given to the RMG
call centre, but Del Mastro only actually was coherent when telling Garneau
that they were aware of the Guelph problems and assisting. The round closed off
with Libby Davies and Anne Minh-Thu Quach asking about health transfers and drug
shortages (Glover: Look at how much we increased transfers/Carrie: We’re
considering all options if drug companies don’t comply with voluntary measures).
Round three kicked off with a large number
of questions on inshore fisheries changes and more about drug shortages (Carries:
We can’t force companies to produce drugs). Stéphane Dion directed a question
to Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Peter Penashue about downloading costs on
provinces (Glover: Liberals cut transfers!), the Veterans Review and Appeal Board, the
overdue rail-service review, a particular Quebec project, and the priority
access program for rural broadband.
Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to Jonathan Genest-Jourdain for his grey pinstripe suit, light-blue shirt and
cream tie, and to Mylène Freeman for her medium-blue short dress with a black
jacket. Plenty of style citations to go around today, starting with Françoise
Boivin for her boxy Creamsicle-orange microfiber jacket, and to Raymond Côté, Charlie Angus and Jacques Gourde for all sporting grey suits with fluorescent-blue shirts (seriously guys, knock it off – you’re not 17 shopping at Le Château).
Dishonourable mention to Blaine Calkins for a black suit/yellow shirt
violation.
Why you can trust Xtra
