OTTAWA — Much has been made of the political legacy Justin Trudeau has to live up to as he follows in the footsteps of his father, a former prime minister.
On Wednesday, he invoked one of Pierre Elliott Trudeau’s most memorable quips when asked whether he had uttered unparliamentary language.
“What is the nature of your thoughts, gentlemen, when you move your lips in a particular way?” the current prime minister told reporters on his way out of the House of Commons.
It hearkens back to 1971, when Pierre Trudeau was accused of “mouthing a four-letter obscenity” at the opposition benches.
The elder Trudeau had denied saying anything. When pressed by reporters, he replied: “What is the nature of your thoughts, gentlemen, when you say fuddle-duddle or something like that?”
On Wednesday, his son had the reference ready.
Conservatives had accused him of “dropping an F-bomb,” with MP John Barlow telling the House “it was not fuddle-duddle.”
The remark was not picked up by the microphone on the livestream of the proceedings. Deputy Speaker Chris d’Entremont said he did not hear what was said.
Even the Tories have not yet been clear about what they heard, although Opposition House leader John Brassard maintains about a dozen of his colleagues heard it. They’ve formally asked the Speaker to review Hansard and determine whether unparliamentary language was used.
The Liberals asked for a review of what was said “on all sides of the House” complete with details including the names of MPs and what they said.
Brassard told reporters Trudeau used a “six-letter reference followed by another word.”
“Anyways, I don’t think he liked the line of questioning today and that’s why he reacted,” he said.
The alleged profanity came during an exchange with Conservative MP Kerry-Lynne Findlay, who asked Trudeau whether a military plane was used to surveil Ottawa during the “Freedom Convoy” protests this winter.
The prime minister responded that her question was “dangerously close to misinformation and disinformation designed to gin up fears and conspiracy theories.”
He denied that a special forces unit was monitoring the protest around Parliament Hill and said they were engaged in a previously scheduled training exercise.
Question period repeatedly devolved into incoherent shouting from both sides of the aisle on Wednesday, even drowning out the Speaker.
After Trudeau’s response, d’Entremont had to call for order.
He reminded MPs that they “did cross a couple of lines there,” adding, “I heard it from all sides.”
This is not the first time Trudeau has been under scrutiny for his language.
In 2011, when he was a Liberal MP in opposition, he apologized to the House after calling then-environment minister Peter Kent a “piece of s—” during another heated debate.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 4, 2022.
OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the NDP is caving to political pressure from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre when it comes to their stance on the consumer carbon price.
Trudeau says he believes Jagmeet Singh and the NDP care about the environment, but it’s “increasingly obvious” that they have “no idea” what to do about climate change.
On Thursday, Singh said the NDP is working on a plan that wouldn’t put the burden of fighting climate change on the backs of workers, but wouldn’t say if that plan would include a consumer carbon price.
Singh’s noncommittal position comes as the NDP tries to frame itself as a credible alternative to the Conservatives in the next federal election.
Poilievre responded to that by releasing a video, pointing out that the NDP has voted time and again in favour of the Liberals’ carbon price.
British Columbia Premier David Eby also changed his tune on Thursday, promising that a re-elected NDP government would scrap the long-standing carbon tax and shift the burden to “big polluters,” if the federal government dropped its requirements.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
Simon Jolin-Barrette, minister responsible for consumer protection, has tabled a bill to force merchants to calculate tips based on the price before tax.
That means on a restaurant bill of $100, suggested tips would be calculated based on $100, not on $114.98 after provincial and federal sales taxes are added.
The bill would also increase the rebate offered to consumers when the price of an item at the cash register is higher than the shelf price, to $15 from $10.
And it would force grocery stores offering a discounted price for several items to clearly list the unit price as well.
Businesses would also have to indicate whether taxes will be added to the price of food products.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
Quebec legislature member Youri Chassin has announced he’s leaving the Coalition Avenir Québec government to sit as an Independent.
He announced the decision shortly after writing an open letter criticizing Premier François Legault’s government for abandoning its principles of smaller government.
In the letter published in Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec, Chassin accused the party of falling back on what he called the old formula of throwing money at problems instead of looking to do things differently.
Chassin says public services are more fragile than ever, despite rising spending that pushed the province to a record $11-billion deficit projected in the last budget.
He is the second CAQ member to leave the party in a little more than one week, after economy and energy minister Pierre Fitzgibbon announced Sept. 4 he would leave because he lost motivation to do his job.
Chassin says he has no intention of joining another party and will instead sit as an Independent until the end of his term.
He has represented the Saint-Jérôme riding since the CAQ rose to power in 2018, but has not served in cabinet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
