Ottawa

Made to perform like captive sea creatures

Keith Beardsley, a former Conservative official, laments for the spectacle of the House between 2pm and 3pm each afternoon.

For example, the Conservatives still read out their monotonous Member’s Statements or SO 31s, on the NDP carbon Tax. Really folks, those became old after the first few days of use. Somehow I can’t envision someone like former MP Myron Thompson standing up to read out that stuff. More than likely he would have told the boys in short pants where they could stuff their SO31.

It makes one wonder at just how spineless Conservative backbench MPs are when after this length of time they are still standing up to read that nonsense into what will become their personal historic record in the House of Commons. Generations from now that will be their legacy, something I am sure their grandchildren would be proud to know they participated in. Have they no shame? Perhaps the trained seal analogy is fitting.

What’s particularly interesting about Keith’s criticism is that he acknowledges being part of the team that turned members’ statements into live-action attack ads.

His criticism of the NDP is interesting too: the idea seeming to be that it would make more sense for opposition parties to dwell on a few topics each day rather than attempt to touch on a dozen different subjects.

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