Thomas Mulcair was trying to keep the pressure on the prime minister.
"Mr. Speaker, we will not accept any lessons on trade from a government with a record $50 billion trade deficit," he said.
The idea, as he laid out Monday after question period, was to focus on things other than what the NDP seem to see as simply Conservative bait: the
charges of a so-called "carbon tax" lying in wait in the NDP's plans for the future of Canada.
The Conservatives had, again, pushed the issue in the minutes prior to question period. Three separate MPs rising during the time for members' statements and, like hostages to the messaging, recited prepared party talking points on how the NDP's "carbon tax" might, if it were somehow implemented by the Opposition party during a majority government, ruin the country. For the record, the NDP had their own mindless response something about journalists "having a field
day" uncovering government misinformation on the issue.
"Mr. Speaker," the prime minister said in response to Mulcair, "we all know we live in a challenging global environment." What "all serious analysts" understand, he said, is that the Canadian economy continues to "outperform our peers." The NDP, he alleged, would want to put an end to free trade, and do things that might "destroy Canadian jobs."
Mulcair was unimpressed.
"Canadians deserve better," he said.
A few minutes later to Mulcair's left, NDP industry critic, Peter Julian, stood and gave one example how.
"It is 25 days until the review deadline for the proposed takeover of Nexen by CNOOC," he reminded everyone. "Yesterday we asked the
minister what steps he will be taking to clarify the net benefit to us. There was no answer. We asked what they will be doing for public consultations. There
was dead silence and no answer at all."
When, he wondered, would the government agree to hold public consultations on the pending deal?
"This transaction will be scrutinized very closely," industry minister Christian Paradis replied, reminding Julian of "targeted amendments to the Canada Investment Act that provide better transparency to the public."
But there was one thing the Conservatives would not do, Paradis said.
"We do not have to take lessons from the NDP," he told the House.
The opposition refuses to learn any lessons from the government. The government is unwilling to learn any lessons from the opposition.
There are one thousand, one hundred and twenty-two days until the next scheduled federal election.
NDP Critic for Canadian Heritage Peter Julian issued the following statement:
"It has come to our attention that a consultant for a federally funded anti-racism project has a disturbing track record of spewing hate speech online against Jewish and francophone communities. This is completely unacceptable. We call on the Minister of Heritage to take drastic action and terminate his contract.
NDP Heritage Critic Peter Julian issued the following statement:
“Today’s announcement by Hockey Canada is another attempt to delay the important and urgent work to deal with the toxic culture in this organization. While a former Supreme Court Justice is a credible appointment to conduct the review into Hockey Canada, this won’t be the first time the organization undergoes this process.
NDP critic for Canadian Heritage, Peter Julian, made the following statement:
“Canadians are horrified by the incidents of sexual assault and by what they’re hearing from Hockey Canada. They are left with many questions about how this toxic culture is allowed to persist in our sports organizations and what the government is actually doing to ensure this doesn’t happen again.