Ottawa

Is this civil?

The 15 minutes immediately preceding Question Period each day are set aside for “statements by members.” These statements generally involve members saluting recently passed constituents, championing dearly held causes or making note of momentous sporting events.

In the last two parliaments, the Conservative side also took the opportunity to take free shots at whoever happened to be Liberal leader at the time. And now, however much cross words make the Foreign Affairs Minister cry, the Conservative side has taken to sending up backbenchers with scripted harangues. Here, for instance, is Scott Armstrong. And here is Jacques Gourde. And here, from Wednesday, is the newly elected David Wilks.

Mr. Speaker, the NDP of the radical hard left do not know the first thing about governing. Ask a British Columbian or Ontarian who had to put up with its members in power. While Canadians remain concerned about jobs and the economy, the NDP is having a gut-wrenching debate about whether or not it should remain committed to its reckless, hard left, high tax, socialist principles. The NDP radical left remains committed to pro-drug policies and anti-trade policies. The NDP opposes Canada’s leadership as a clean energy superpower. It even questions its commitment to federalism, with calls to repeal the Clarity Act. The NDP proposed child care from birth to age 12, a 45-day work year and a 50% hike in the pension plan, policies that would cost billions. The radical hard left NDPers should stop and think about the real priorities of Canadians: jobs and the economy.

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