The butt of jokes around the world

Despite the Prime Minister’s officials saying that he missed the first attempt at taking the G20 “family portrait” because he was busy being “briefed,” the BBC made it be known that he was “in the loo,” and thus Harper became the butt of many a joke in the world media today.

Back home, one of the early statements by a Conservative MP should perhaps have been considered a joke, in which James Lunney extolled the virtues of creationism. Seriously.

Mr. Speaker, recently we saw an attempt to ridicule the presumed beliefs of a member of this House and the belief of millions of Canadians in a creator. Certain individuals in the media and the scientific community have exposed their own arrogance and intolerance of beliefs contrary to their own. Any scientist who declares that the theory of evolution is a fact has already abandoned the foundations of science. For science establishes fact through the study of things observable and reproducible. Since origins can neither be reproduced nor observed, they remain the realm of hypothesis.

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In science, it is perfectly acceptable to make assumptions when we do not have all the facts, but it is never acceptable to forget our assumptions. Given the modern evidence unavailable to Darwin, advanced models of plate techtonics, polonium radiohalos, polystratic fossils, I am prepared to believe that Darwin would be willing to re-examine his assumptions.
The evolutionists may disagree, but neither can produce Darwin as a witness to prove his point. The evolutionists may genuinely see his ancestor in a monkey, but many modern scientists interpret the same evidence in favour of creation and a creator.

When Question Period started, Ignatieff began by asking why it was that Harper was making statements about the necessity for economic stimulus while abroad, and yet at home insisting that he’d done more than enough. While Ted Menzies tried to pick up Tony Clement’s faux contention that Ignatieff says one thing on one side of the country than he does on the other (which was of course a Conservative selective reading of a quote out of context) – as though that party didn’t spend the past election saying one thing in French and something else entirely in English – he insisted that Harper’s message was one and the same.

Duceppe and Layton also picked up on Harper’s comments, but the other major theme was once again the revelation of that legislation on Shia law in Afghanistan. In response to a question by Bob Rae, Stockwell Day said that while he had been in Afghanistan just a couple of weeks ago, nobody then knew anything of this law, but they were certainly aware of it now. Once again, however, Day refused to give any kind of specifics on what kinds of consequences the country may face if they implement this law.

Sartorial snaps actually go out to Bev Oda, whose pink jacket with the tied scarf beneath it were well done. As well, Johanne Deschamps black-patterned white jacket was also quite superb – but then she is rarely anything other than impeccable. The style citation is being handed to Helena Guergis for the bright yellow shirt and the oversized cravat paired with a black jacket. Who told her that yellow and black should be paired like that? A leopard? Sorry, but no.

Also an interesting observation – Liberal MP Maurizio Bevilacqua (who in repeated interviews with me has stressed that yes, he voted for same-sex marriage) spent much of Question Period snapping photos with his Blackberry. I’m not quite sure why, but it was somewhat amusing to watch from the gallery above him.

The one story that didn’t make it into Question Period, but was certainly reported in the news, was Baird & Kenny’s Excellent Adventure. That is, Senator Colin Kenny, chair of the Senate Security and National Defence Committee, who has been banging on about problems with airport security for years, finally convinced John Baird to take a trip to Pearson International Airport in Toronto and get onto the tarmac illegally just to show him that it could be done. And while there are some problems with Baird’s approach (with his RCMP shadows and so on), it was an eye-opening trip. Kenny, of course, can always be counted on to make a good quote about any situation he’s in, and this time he didn’t disappoint – in saying that he’s invited previous Ministers to make such a trip, Baird “is the first one to get off his ass and take a look.” Oh, Senator Kenny – don’t ever change!

Oh, and incidentally? The big maroon leather couches in the Senate foyer are awesome for doing interviews on. But then again, the Senate foyer is not the hub of activity that the Commons foyer is.

And with that, Parliament goes on break for two weeks after today for the Easter holiday.