The Commons: Everything about this is awful

By Aaron Wherry - Wednesday, June 10, 2009 at 6:24 PM - 55 Comments

The Scene. About ten minutes past the appointed time, the cameras outside the door began to flash, announcing Lisa Raitt’s arrival. A few seconds later she appeared at the entrance to the cramped room in Centre Block’s basement reserved for announcements, explanations and apologies.

Ms. Raitt collected herself, then approached the podium, the standard array of flags behind her. She placed her notes in front of her, sipped quickly from a glass of water and then, with watery eyes, began what had been promoted simply as a short statement.

Opposition anger the day previous had been dismissed as “cheap politics.” Others argued it simply had to be accepted that ministers of the crown would naturally, if in private, find something “sexy” in a potential health care crisis. Given a night to think it over, the minister herself had apparently suffered second thoughts.

Three young men from the Prime Minister’s Office watched from the side. At the front of the room, the Natural Resources Minister apologized to those who might’ve taken offence to a statement she had not intended any of us to hear. She expressed “deep regret” and offered a “clear apology.” She paused at the end of each sentence to take a deep breath.

She spoke of her father and his 18-month ordeal with colon cancer. She spoke of watching her brother die from lung cancer. She struggled to swallow the lump in her throat. With tears welling in her eyes, she made a brief, futile search of the podium for tissue.

She steadied herself, finished her testimony, pledged to carry on, then took her leave. Continue…

And now for something altogether different

By Aaron Wherry - Tuesday, June 9, 2009 at 11:07 PM - 19 Comments

After the jump, the prepared text for a speech Indian Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl delivered to the Public Policy Forum last week. More astute policy minds are welcome to offer analysis.

Whatever you do, don’t bother with a Google search comparison of the coverage received for this as compared to coverage of other recent developments in Ottawa. It will not make you feel any better about our politics. Continue…

The Commons: And so Stephen Harper finds himself in agreement with the Toronto Star

By Aaron Wherry - Thursday, May 28, 2009 at 6:18 PM - 25 Comments

The Scene. Relaxing in the moments before Question Period, Michael Ignatieff and Stephen Harper looked across the aisle and nodded at each other—the Prime Minister no doubt recognizing the man opposite as the guy in all those bootlegged VHS tapes he’s been watching.

A short while later, Chuck Strahl, the Indian Affairs Minister, strolled across the aisle and engaged the leader of the opposition in what seemed a friendly conversation. Though the substance of the discussion was unclear, by all appearances Mr. Strahl understood clearly the words that were coming out of Mr. Ignatieff’s mouth.

As demonstrations of bipartisan collegiality, these were heartening scenes. As demonstrations of human ability, they were important clarifiers. Indeed, if these moments are any example, let there be no question that government and opposition do acknowledge and, at least passably, comprehend each other, whatever misconceptions today’s asking of questions and airing of accusations may have left you with. Continue…

A moment to say nice things (II)

By Aaron Wherry - Thursday, May 14, 2009 at 3:31 PM - 3 Comments

Question Period does not always lend itself to the most flattering impressions of our elected representatives—and the action itself is limiting, the majority of MPs not participating in any central way. It is not though without its redeeming moments or individuals. And so, as an entirely subjective addendum to our official awards, a pause in our usual programming to recognize a few of the least offensive. Continue…

The Commons: Retro Wednesday

By Aaron Wherry - Wednesday, April 29, 2009 at 5:36 PM - 7 Comments

The Scene. Ralph Goodale stood to applause and chants of his first name, a garish tie hanging from his neck. With Michael Ignatieff away, it was the Liberal house leader’s privilege to lead the official opposition’s interrogation of the government side.

Goodale is, in various ways, the epitome of a parliamentarian, or at least the living embodiment of the sort of politician many must imagine when they think of this place. First elected in 1974, three months shy of his 25th birthday, he was defeated in 1979, 1980 and 1988, only to return in 1993. Reelected another five times, his service now stands at some 7,445 days. He’s held seven ministerial portfolios and, for the past two years, possessed the title of house leader for Her Majesty’s opposition. He is a blustery, partisan, fast-talking Prairie boy from Wascana, a frequent heckler well-schooled in the ways and means of legislation and procedure and equipped by now with a long memory for otherwise forgotten votes and policies.

But if Mr. Ignatieff operates here with a scalpel, Mr. Goodale tends to prefer a sledgehammer. And so the absence of the former and prominence of the latter surely made what followed foreseeable and ultimately familiar. Continue…

The Commons: You bore us, Mr. Ignatieff

By Aaron Wherry - Monday, April 27, 2009 at 7:10 PM - 31 Comments

The Scene. Shortly before 2 o’clock, in the midst of the capital’s first truly sweltering afternoon this year, a man in a dark suit and plastic animal mask—depicting a sheep, it seems—stood outside the Centre Block entrance reserved for Members of Parliament, handing out copies of former MP Garth Turner’s new book. Said book, as the animal mask was apparently intended to relate, is entitled Sheeple, a term apparently applied to people who often take on the characteristics—curly white hair covering most of the body, fondness for grazing, tendency to do as told—of sheep.

This was conceivably done to make some point. Or poke fun. Or sell a few books. Or some combination thereof. And, for sure, there should be nothing to prohibit anyone from making points, poking fun, or selling books about all that is obvious and absurd and obviously absurd about this place.

But then, in fairness, so much has changed in the six months or so since Mr. Turner was unceremoniously voted out of office. For one, the party to which he was most recently a member has found a new leader, this one fluent in all sorts of English verbs and tenses. For another, that leader has insisted on Question Period being something other than an opportunity to try and convict one’s rivals of various moral crimes.

Today’s session, for instance and as coincidence would have it, began with several fine and reasoned exchanges of inquiry and information. For perhaps a full half hour—with a man in a suit and an animal mask sweating away outside—the proceedings were both graceful and informative, genteel and respectful.

Oh, and boring. Dreadfully, dreadfully boring. Continue…

'Stop the political games'

By Aaron Wherry - Wednesday, March 11, 2009 at 11:57 AM - 53 Comments

From January 30 through yesterday—a total of 23 sitting days for the House of Commons—eight different Conservative MPs have combined, for reasons one hesitates to consider in public, to reference well-known and periodically infamous Liberal strategist Warren Kinsella, by name, a total of 36 times in the House. Only one, Indian Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl, seemed to do so spontaneously, the other 35 mentions coming in apparently scripted moments.

Michael Ignatieff has taken to laughing, rolling his eyes, sighing or frowning—or some times all four at once—in response. Once he appeared to respond with a version of the international gesture for brushing dirt off one’s shoulder.

Yesterday, as another Conservative stood to offer comment, a Liberal yelped, “People are losing their jobs!”

The Commons: Yell louder

By Aaron Wherry - Thursday, March 5, 2009 at 7:34 PM - 24 Comments

The Scene. “Mr. Speaker,” Chuck Strahl said the other day, scolding Todd Russell, the typically loud Liberal from Labrador, “there is that old saying on the preacher’s note, ‘unsure of point, must yell louder.’”

It was a witty retort. And a remarkably candid explanation of how this government has apparently decided to approach this moment of economic crisis, unwinnable war and newly emboldened opposition. Continue…

The Commons: Starring Charlie Angus

By Aaron Wherry - Thursday, February 26, 2009 at 7:17 PM - 7 Comments

The Scene. Charlie Angus is either the best kind of politician or the worst kind of politician. Or possibly both.

He’s either a man deeply committed to his constituents or a man determined to make a spectacle of himself. Or possibly—having realized that the former sometimes requires you to do the latter—both.

The NDP member of Parliament for Timmins-James Bay was once part of a punk-rock band and regularly dresses as if he wishes he still were. Today it was a black suit, navy blue shirt and silver tie. In full rhetorical flight, his voice is often a high-pitched twang—owing perhaps to both his punk roots and his current gig as the frontman of Grievous Angels, an alt-country band.

In the House he has become a restless advocate for Aboriginal issues and for much of the last year he has pestered the government to build a new school in Attawapiskat, a remote community located near James Bay in Northern Ontario. Students there have been taught in portables for the past eight years, their previous school closed in 2000 on account of a diesel fuel leak underneath the building.

This week, Angus announced a new development in the case—a series of government documents that, he claimed, seem to imply political considerations in the management of such school projects. Continue…

The Commons: Back to our regularly scheduled doom

By Aaron Wherry - Monday, February 23, 2009 at 6:33 PM - 16 Comments

The Scene. It was, if even for just a few hours, nice of hope to visit. A pleasant distraction, if nothing else.

But the crushing business of reality could only be ignored for so long. And back to work we went today.

“Mr. Speaker, first, it was the unemployment numbers. Then, record bank proxies. Then, collapsing housing starts. Then, soaring trade deficit figures. Now, it is retail sales,” Michael Ignatieff began, putting his index finger and thumb together to list the harbingers of our doom. “They fell 5.4 per cent in December; the largest drop in 15 years. Bad news seems to be overwhelming this government’s strategy. So, the question is, is it going to revise this strategy as the situation worsens? The Prime Minister said one thing. The Minister of Finance said another. What is the government’s position?”

The Prime Minister was elsewhere, so up came Jim Flaherty. “Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister and I have been clear that what needs to happen is that Canada’s economic action, the major stimulus to our economy, that is contained in budget 2009, needs to be implemented,” he explained. “To be implemented, of course, it has to be passed by this House and go to the Senate.”

The Liberal leader stood again, apparently unsatisfied with the minister’s attempt to clarify the rudimentary basics of legislative democracy.

“Mr. Speaker, the minister did not answer the question,” Mr. Ignatieff said. “Will he answer that question?”

He most certainly would not.

“Mr. Speaker, in the budget, we were very conservative in our fiscal estimates for this year,” Flaherty said instead. “In fact, our prognostications are below the predictions by the private sector forecasters.”

Hurray, perhaps, for low expectations. Continue…

The Commons: Stephen Harper requests your patience

By Aaron Wherry - Thursday, February 5, 2009 at 6:02 PM - 21 Comments

The Scene. Michael Ignatieff and Stephen Harper were debating the state of the aerospace industry. Suffice it to say, the Liberal leader feels the Prime Minister isn’t doing enough, while the Prime Minister feels the Liberal leader is being silly.

Offering his second reply en francais, the Prime Minister switched in mid-answer to English. A witty retort seemed imminent.

“The Leader of the Opposition cannot support an economic plan earlier in the week and two days later say it is not working yet,” Mr. Harper argued. “That does not really have a lot of credibility.”

Ignatieff smiled.

“Mr. Speaker,” the Liberal replied, “I cannot help it if I am an impatient man.”

The Conservatives laughed and cheered.

“In terms of the leader of the opposition’s patience, he demonstrated a lot of patience in his long, 36 year return to Canada,” the Prime Minister mused at his next opportunity. “I would urge him to show that kind of patience in the future.”

The Conservatives laughed and cheered.

Lost, for the moment, was the brainteaser Ignatieff had snuck in between the chuckles.

“Mr. Speaker,” he said, “can the Prime Minister assure us that his infrastructure spending will benefit all Canadians, no matter where they live or who they vote for?” Continue…

Conservatives, All-Bran and pizza

By Mitchel Raphael - Tuesday, January 20, 2009 at 11:01 AM - 11 Comments

Towards the end of the Tories’ first caucus meeting following the holiday break, staffers were seen bringing hot pizzas into the room as journalists outside the door salivated.

Earlier, a cart with All Bran bars and peanut-free chocolate chip Chewy bars was seen going in.

Peter Van Loan, Minister of Public Safety, shows off his environmentally friendly shopping bag.

Conservatives almost never use the mic set up on the Hill after caucus meetings. This time Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs, used it to talk to the media. He was even on crutches.

Continue…

Dion v. Harper, Crack-up in the Commons

By Aaron Wherry - Wednesday, December 3, 2008 at 1:40 AM - 55 Comments

I’d read about the sound that comes from a boxing crowd right before a major fight, but I didn’t fully understand it until I covered a fight (Mike Tyson’s last as a professional, oddly enough). There is a barely concealed blood-lust to the noise that rises up—a palpable, common desire to see someone grievously injured, an anxious excitement at the prospect of what violence may unfold before our eyes. It was, in my single experience, legitimately frightening.

The cacophony in the House of Commons this afternoon wasn’t quite like that. But that this afternoon was even vaguely reminiscent of that sound is probably enough to conclude that we are now in a dark, and perhaps dangerous, place.

“It was a fine day to be a parliamentarian,” Chuck Strahl said afterwards, selflessly surrendering his claim to be among the reasonable members of this government. Continue…

BTC: Unexpectedly important issue of the week

By Aaron Wherry - Monday, October 27, 2008 at 12:25 AM - 2 Comments

Asbestos.

The Globe and Mail previews this week’s talks in Rome, while the Ottawa Citizen’s Katie Daubs has completed a four-part series on Canada’s exporting of the stuff and refusal (to date) to participate in an international stand against it. The Post editorial board defends Canada’s position. Don Martin calls it an “international joke.”

The discussion within Stephen Harper’s cabinet is probably just as interesting. Continue…

The Commons: In Review

By Aaron Wherry - Monday, June 23, 2008 at 4:44 PM - 0 Comments

The best, worst and merely laughable of the recently completed Parliamentary session

The Scene. Late last week, at the press conference he’d called to formally reject the Liberal green plan he hadn’t bothered to read, Jason Kenney was asked to account for his government’s tone—the language with which it had chosen to engage the current debate.

“I don’t think that Canadians are so humourless and earnest,” he posited, “that they reject humour in political discourse.”

There are at least two problems with this assessment.

At the outset, it assumes that what Mr. Kenney’s had to say has been particularly funny. This is, by most objective standards, a stretch. His particular line on the Liberal carbon tax relies on the fact that the word “shift” sounds something like a swear. While perhaps uproarious when compared with other discussions around here—so many of them having to do with war and poverty and other sufferings—most of us ceased finding this pun particularly hilarious around the first time we kissed a girl (or boy, as it were).

But, in fairness to Mr. Kenney, let’s pretend his comedic stylings on this front have been the stuff of a night at the Apollo. Even if that were the case, so, er, what? Continue…

The Commons: Way to go, Skippy

By Aaron Wherry - Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 6:22 PM - 0 Comments

And so the day of apology begets its own apology

The Scene. It couldn’t last. Or at least we knew it wouldn’t last. And, in some ways maybe, it shouldn’t last.

But who knew yesterday’s spirit of common good and cooperative effort was so null and void before most of us had even gotten around to feeling good about ourselves?

Indeed, before the Prime Minister had so much as spoken the first words of this Parliament’s most remarkable hour, exuberant Conservative Pierre Poilievre had put forward a revolutionary, if rather insensitive, reading on the politics of healing. Speaking with the “Lunch Bunch” on an Ottawa radio station, he suggested that compensation for the victims of physical and sexual abuse should be treated as investment. A full accounting required. A proper return demanded.

Worse still, he made gratuitous and silly use of the term “partook”—speaking, as it were, several classes above his weight.

The only surprise in what came next was that it took the Liberals a full 24 hours to formally demand Poilievre’s resignation. Continue…

The Commons: The Apology

By Aaron Wherry - Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 12:08 AM - 10 Comments

A day of many words. And perhaps some promise.

The Scene. The moment came later than expected. Indeed, according to the official itinerary, the Prime Minister was due to start speaking at precisely 3:02 pm. But it was not until fully 3:15 pm that everyone was seated and Stephen Harper was called by the Speaker to begin.

He strode into the House of Commons with 11 representatives of the native community—last among them 104-year-old Marguerite Wabano, the eldest remaining survivor of Canada’s residential schools, tiny and dressed all in blue, a cane in one hand and her granddaughter by her side. Behind the Prime Minister walked Chuck Strahl, Minister of Indian Affairs, and Strahl’s parliamentary secretary Rod Bruinooge, himself an aboriginal Canadian.

The delegates took their seats in the centre aisle, positioned in a circle before the Prime Minister. Government House leader Peter Van Loan, as demure and dainty as he may ever be, stood and moved that time be allotted for response from these visitors to this place. Each party duly consented and the motion carried unanimously.

Mr. Harper then stood, laid out his script on the green velvet lectern placed on his desk and, finally, began.

“Mr. Speaker, I stand before you today to offer an apology to former students of Indian residential schools,” he started, simply enough. “Today, we recognize that this policy of assimilation was wrong, has caused great harm and has no place in our country.”

Not for the last time, a packed Commons stood and applauded, hoots, hollers and the beat of drums coming down from the galleries above. Continue…

BTC: Apologia

By Aaron Wherry - Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at 10:16 PM - 0 Comments

A full review of the day will be up soon. The day’s key speeches, aside from the Prime Minister’s remarks, do not appear to have been posted online as yet. So below I’ll reprint excerpts from the apologies of Stephen Harper, Stephane Dion and Jack Layton, as well as the remarks of Phil Fontaine. Continue…

The Commons: ‘Way to go, Skippy’

By Aaron Wherry - Wednesday, May 7, 2008 at 8:06 PM - 0 Comments

Yes, congratulations are in order on another day well diverted

The Scene. It was for awhile there—no word of a lie—proving to be a fairly substantive day.

Opening Question Period, the Liberals opted to raise the matter of Omar Khadr, the young man of some Canadian heritage now residing, under the auspices of global security, in a Guantanamo Bay prison. The opposition parties are of the opinion that Khadr, with due consideration to his age and the precedents of other Western-born detainees, should be brought back to Canada.

It is, at the very least, a position of principle, if not at all a position of great political gain. And as such it was quickly shooed away by the Prime Minister. But months after they promised to champion Khadr’s cause, it was at least redeeming to see the Liberals make a token effort.

Next came the Bloc, Gilles Duceppe going maroon-faced in his denuniciation of the Governor General and her stubborn insistence on speaking in favour of a united Canada when traveling abroad. “This is ridiculous,” he cried. “Monarchy is ridiculous.”

Maybe so. But the Prime Minister surely appreciated the opportunity to announce his love of country, the Liberals rewarding him with a bi-partisan ovation that was reciprocated a moment later when Stephane Dion made his own claim of patriotism. (Though it is perhaps insignificant, it will be noted here that while the Grits and Tories were applauding the Maple Leaf, the NDP caucus, with seemingly the only exception of Peter Stoffer, stayed seated.)
Continue…