With neither Harper nor Turmel in the House
today, it was up to Joe Comartin to lead the moral indignation against the CSIS
directives that allow for the use of information obtained by torture, and
acting once again as back-up PM, Peter MacKay got to replay hypothetical 24-like scenarios where such information
may be useful. Peter Julian followed up by demanding clear answers on the
future of the OAS, to which Finley gave her usual assurances that they were
guaranteeing the future sustainability. Bob Rae stood up to remind the House
about Stephen Harper’s promise in 2005 not to OAS, and guarantee its
future increases – but noted that in the same speech he promised not to touch
Income Trusts, and well, we all k now what happened there. MacKay insisted that
they were simply starting a “reasonable debate” on the future of programmes
like OAS. For his final question, Rae asked about issues of public safety when
Rob Nicholson indicated that firing warning shots might be acceptable under new
legislation, and what about the dangers to those who might inadvertently be hit
by stray bullets? Nicholson stood up and insisted that they know who the real
victims are, and it’s apparently people whose property is being violated.
Seriously.
Round two kicked off with questions from
Irene Mathyssen and Lysane Blanchette-Lamothe about the OAS (Finley: looming
crisis!), Jinny Sims about the reported closure of Canadian consulates in the
US (Obhrai: No decisions have been made), and Christine Moore and Matthew
Kellway asked after back-up plans for the F-35 (Fantino: “The member opposite is
referring to a failed NDP candidate who wrote this report, critical of
everything that is holy and decent about this government’s efforts…” No,
seriously. Direct quote). Judy Sgro returned to Harper’s previous promises on
OAS (Finley: Look at all the promises the Liberals broke), Ralph Goodale
wondered where those promised foreign investment rules were (Paradis: We’re
still working on it), and Wayne Easter returned to the issue of closing consulates
(Obhrai: This is just pure speculation). Hélène Laverdière wondered if we were
sacrificing human rights on the altar of trade with China (Obhrai: Human rights
are at the core of our policies), and Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet asked about how
80 percent of the disability access funds are going to Conservative ridings
(Finley: No government has done more for the disabled than hours).
Round three saw questions on that search
and rescue failure in Labrador, Toronto light rail, giving more of the gas tax
to Toronto (it’s almost like there’s a by-election coming), the useless data of
the National Household Survey, Hedy Fry asked about those air screening
regulations affecting trans people on behalf of a trans group heading to a
conference in San Diego (Lebel: air safety bafflegab), the closure of CBC’s
operation in La Ronge, Saskatchewan, land appropriations around the Mirabel
airport, Air Canada’s headquarters in Montreal, and the impacts of the sale of
oil sands operations to Chinese national companies.
In the scrums in the Foyer afterward, I
asked Bob Rae just what was holy and decent about the government, per Fantino’s
response. Rae responded saying, “I think you’d have to do an Access to
Information request about that, and I don’t think you’d get an answer,
actually.”
Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to
regular snappy dressers Lisa Raitt for her red dress with her black sweater and
boots, and Jonathan Genest-Jourdain for his tailored charcoal suit and white
shirt. Style citations go out once again to Raymond Côté for yet another
fluorescent shirt – today it was fuchsia – and a grey suit (seriously – stop wearing
fluorescent dress shirts. You’re not seventeen), and to Isabelle Morin, for a
layered faded red and grey sleeveless top with grey trousers.
