Politics Insider for November 23, 2021 – Speaker chosen; David Suzuki Makes a Controversial Speech; and jailed journalists are released
The gang is back: Gone are the big Zoom screen and strips of empty seats. The first day of 44 of Parliamentth The session basically featured house full of deputies for the first time since mid-March 2020. Members and observers Similary it seemed happy be back. They all wore masks, and while the seating order isn’t ideal for social distancing, it can’t be worse than the classrooms millions of Canadian children have sat in for months.
The sea of rookie and returning MPs was most conspicuous in the Conservative seats, after much speculation that parliamentary rules on COVID vaccination testing would keep some MPs out. Virtually all the Conservatives were present, and except Richard Lehoux (who tested positive) the few others were absent for travel or other reasons unrelated to COVID. Aides announced that all of Erin O’Toole’s MPs were vaccinated or had medical exemptions, although it was unclear how many were in each camp.
This gave the leader of the Government House Mark Holland space for pour more salt on this conservative wound; He noted that the odds of multiple deputies qualifying for medical exemptions are statistically “extraordinarily low,” given that only 1 in 20,000 would normally have legitimate medical reasons for not getting vaccinated. Candice Bergen, Deputy Conservative Leader, said the Liberal was “disparaging House of Commons officials and medical experts tasked with overseeing the vaccination verification process,” CTV News reported.
Duly reelected and reelected: After an election that changed so little in the House of Commons, it was logical that the election of the Speakers also produced a status quo result. Anthony Rota, a sixth-term Liberal MP for Nipissing – Timiskaming, was re-elected in the secret preferential vote against six MPs from various parties. It will be his second term occupying the largest and greenest chair in Commons, and a residence known as The farm in Gatineau Hills, after first holding office after the 2019 election, when he beat incumbent Geoff Regan. After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the leader of the opposition ceremonially dragged him through the Commons (he pretended to be limp a couple of times, he doused his victory speech with not only comfortable French and English, but also Italian and ojibwa).
How the other Spokesperson candidates fared in their peer voting will remain a mystery. Among them, conservative deputy Joel godin and new Democratic deputy Carol hughes they were not successful in 2019.
Simon says: While the House of Commons had most of the fun ceremonial proceedings on Monday, the pomp and ornate hats move Tuesday to the Senate chambers, where the governor-general is. Mary Simon he will deliver his first speech to the throne at 1 pm This is not one with particularly high expectations, given that the liberals’ agenda was already set by the party’s electoral platform. Leader of the Government House Mark Holland It already laid out much of the liberals’ immediate legislative priorities: bills on conversion therapy, extended pandemic benefits, 10-day paid sick leave, and protection of healthcare workers from harassment, all to pass by the time the House calls it a calendar year in December. 22.
Speculation about what is in the viceregal leadership is quite discreet: many attempts at French by Simon? Did you hastily add lines about the British Columbia flood disaster? But now it’s pretty safe to say that this won’t be the Commonwealth’s worst major political speech of the week. Take a bow (and don’t fall flat on your face while doing so), Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris johnson. From The Guardian:
Boris Johnson has been criticized by senior business leaders and conservative MPs for a “rambling” speech to leading industry figures that saw him widely praising Peppa Pig World, comparing himself to Moses and mimicking the noise of a speeding car. ..
He said that “the real engine of growth is not the government,” but the private sector, whose energy and originality the prime minister praised. To illustrate this, he explained: “Yesterday I went, as we all must, to Peppa Pig World. Hands up if you’ve been to Peppa Pig World! “I loved it. Peppa Pig World is my kind of place. It has very safe streets, discipline in schools, great emphasis on new public transportation systems. Even if they are a bit stereotypical about Daddy Pig.”
Johnson also imitated the sound of a car speeding up with grunts that the official Downing Street communiqué transcribed as “arum arum aaaaaaaaag.”
Manitoba also has a speech from the throne tuesday, the newly minted government reboot by Premier Heather stefanson, swore two weeks ago to replace Tory Brian Pallister. And don’t know it, vaccination rules are causing stress in Winnipeg’s legislative chambers, too.
Rebuild or burst: Landslides and floods in British Columbia have roundly debunked false dichotomies: greens versus bean counters, planet safety versus Canadians’ pockets, he writes. Rick smith from the Canadian Institute for Climate Options. This climate disaster has been an economic disaster for supply chains and businesses. Smith observes in Maclean’s:
Looking at the razed roads and rail lines in British Columbia, it’s clear that we need a lot of investment in weather-resistant infrastructure. The current crisis in BC shows that such investment is the most profitable way to protect the services that people and businesses depend on. Canada already has an infrastructure deficit, with governments, utilities, businesses and homeowners already struggling to keep what already exists in good condition; We need to ensure that this deficit is addressed with a low-carbon and future-proof infrastructure that is adapted to the climate of today and tomorrow.
Speaking of climate change, Minister of the Environment Steven Guilbeault delivered his own COP26 report on National Observer of Canada. It was his 19th climatic summit; the previous ones he attended as a climate activist. You will no doubt be surprised how proud he is of what Canada is doing right now. While he insists this is not the time for the victory laps, it does seem like the time to pat on the back: “Amid the ups and downs of summit diplomacy, one thing stood out that I was not fully prepared in Glasgow. Inside those negotiating rooms, and behind the closed doors of my bilateral meetings, I heard genuine recognition and respect for the constructive role that Canada is playing in the climate fight. “
Far, far away from the corridors of environmental decision making, David suzuki raised the specter of violent destruction by activists if the politicians don’t act. “We are in deep confusion,” the legendary environmentalist said at an Extinction Rebellion protest on Vancouver Island this weekend. “This is what we come to, the next stage after this, there will be pipelines exploded if our leaders do not pay attention to what is happening.”
Suzuki later said that he does not support pipeline bombings, “of course not,” he said. National post Tyler Dawson, but said there are few options left for those who feel the government is not moving fast enough. Alberta Premier Jason kenney was quick to condemn Suzuki’s comment as “dangerous” and environment minister Jason nixon criticized him for preaching ecoterrorism. More neutrally, the BC Minister of Public Security Mike farnworth said “Statements like that are not helpful,” particularly during so much displacement due to this natural (albeit climate change-induced) catastrophe.
Journalists out of jail: It’s unseemly for journalists to spend three nights in jail for doing their job, but at least photojournalist Amber Bracken and Michael Toledano don’t get more, at least for now. On Monday, a judge from BC released them both on bail following his arrests on Friday in an RCMP raid along with 13 other people as they recounted the protests of the Coastal GasLink pipeline that would run through Wet’suwet’en territory. They were released under conditions, including an order to comply with the pipeline company’s court order limiting access to the pipeline construction site. The journalists remain charged and Bracken’s hearing is scheduled for February.
—Jason Markusoff
Reference-www.macleans.ca