Ottawa

Deep thoughts

On Monday, several Conservative MPs were reported to be less-than-completely scornful when three former convicts appeared before the public safety committee to express concerns about the government’s recent moves to restrict pardons.

Nonetheless, so it was yesterday that a government backbencher, Phil McColeman, was sent up to report that the Liberal public safety critic had, at that committee meeting, been “quick to advocate on behalf of convicted criminals.”

And so it was that the Liberal critic, Mark Holland, stood after Question Period to complain that this was untrue.

And so it was that Mr. McColeman, the duly elected member for Brant, responded as follows.

Mr. Speaker, since being elected to the House some two years ago and a bit, I will take no lessons from the member for Ajax—Pickering when it comes to presenting issues to Parliament that are not based on any factual evidence. I will take no lessons from that member.

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