Six million doses

Six million doses delivered. Pretty much the only thing that Tony Clement said all afternoon, interspersed with protests that we have more vaccines distributed per capita than any other country.

It didn’t matter what the question surround the H1N1 vaccine was. The Auditor General noted a lack of emergency preparedness planning – does this explain their failure on the rollout? Six million doses. Where is the Prime Minister’s leadership? Where is the $400 million set aside for these kinds of things? Six million doses (oh, and I revised that when I was minister). You realise that the second wave of infections is likely to peak before the Christmas deadline for vaccine rollout, right? Six million doses. You get the picture.

(Incidentally, the Liberals’ “Doctors caucus” released a timeline of the H1N1 vaccine in Canada, and how it compares to some other countries earlier in the morning. It’s certainly worth checking out in any event).

There were a few other issues – the Parliamentary Budget Officer’s report that we in fact have a structural deficit, or how the Auditor General also reported that the government’s system of temporary foreign workers was, surprise, surprise, full of abuse and mismanagement. And yet, the government delivered their platitude-like answers, and carried on.

(The Toronto Star’s third and final part of their examination of said programme is actually a happy note, of the successes the programme has had).

Sartorially speaking, there wasn’t really anything really deserving of snaps, but there were a couple of missteps. Like Josée Verner’s rather tragic decision to pair a melon-pink jacket with a brown turtleneck. Or the way Stockwell Day’s blue/pink/purple/grey/whatever striped tie just worked against his pink shirt. The Megan Leslie outfit watch reports an interesting grey jacket that was a sort of tailored military cut, with shoulders straps and a banded collar, paired with dark grey trousers and maroon heels. One of her better looks to date.

Prince Charles and Camilla spent their first full day in Canada touring sites in Newfoundland and Labrador, like Cupids, where His Royal Highness kicked off the four hundredth anniversary celebrations of settlement there in 1610.

Up today: That contentious vote on scrapping the long gun registry is here, and it looks like it’ll be close. In fact, it could very well pass second reading, depending on absences in the House. I’m just forced to ask – for every time supporters of the bill say that we need to focus on criminals, do they plan to include a check box for every time someone buys a long gun in this country that asks “Are you a criminal? Check yes or no.”? Because seriously, how else do you plan to “focus on criminals”?

 

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