Question period kicked off with Nycole
Turmel changing up her usual economic jumping-off point and asking instead about
the dismantling of the Canadian Wheat Board. Harper assured her that farmers
gave the government a strong mandate to provide marketing freedom – along with
everything else they got a “strong mandate” to do, apparently. Pat Martin picked
up on the topic, saying that dismantling the Wheat Board plays into American
corporate interests and then regaling the House with folklore about how the
Canadian beaver will bite off its own testicles. The House roared. Ritz replied
that it was a fitting metaphor as Martin was too impotent to do anything about
it. Bob Rae had his crack at the Wheat Board issue, but Harper was still too
caught up in the previous exchange and said that he hoped Martin’s bark is
worse than his bite, adding that the Liberals have no one on the ground in
the West. Rae then asked about the buy-American plans in the States and what Obama
told him, and Harper replied that we have a great relationship with the States.
Rae then brought up the issue of Texas’s new approach to crime versus this
government’s; Harper assured him that our incarceration rates are much
smaller.
Round two kicked off with Peggy Nash and
Hoang Mai asking about CEOs versus young families (Flaherty: We’ve cut taxes!);
Robert Chisholm asked about free trade agreements with Asia (Fast: Trade is
great for Canada); Mathieu Ravignat asked about protecting supply management in
the European Free Trade Agreement (Fast: We’ve told you repeatedly we’re
defending supply management); and Jamie Nicholls and Brian Masse asked about
high-speed rail (Lebel: We’re waiting to discuss with the new Ontario
minister). Wayne Easter returned to the Wheat Board issue, with trade
implications (Fast: We’re focused on the economy!); Joyce Murray asked about
the American harbour tax (Fast: Ambassador Jacobson says there’s no new tax
forthcoming); and Scott Brison asked about protectionism in the face of the perimeter security agreement (Flaherty: Yay, trade). Randall Garrison and Dany Morin
asked about addressing the fact of criminalized homosexuality in other
Commonwealth countries with an upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government
meeting (Baird: We make sure human rights are front and centre); Marjolaine
Boutin-Sweet asked about a family about to be deported (Kenney: We have a fair
asylum process).
Round three brought up the G8 Legacy Fund, the commissioner of offficial languages’ report, the Canada Post service cuts in
Quebec, small business taxation, the shipwreck off the coast of Nova Scotia and pension
security.
Sartorially speaking, snaps go out to Lisa
Raitt for her fitted dress with a brown and aqua pattern paired with a black
cardigan and grey boots, and Jason Kenney for his violet shirt and purple tie
with a charcoal suit. Style citations go out to Pierre-Luc Dusseault for an
ill-fitting grey suit with a terrible red-pink-grey striped tie, and Kellie
Leitch for a repeat offence of that one-shade-darker-than-hot-pink jacket.
Why you can trust Xtra
