Ottawa

Your Parliament at work

The end of the fall sitting should not pass without some mention of perhaps the least consequential question ever raised in the history of Question Period.

Early in Thursday’s session, Stephane Dion rose and wondered aloud whether the government employed a Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs. Peter Penashue did not stand to confirm his existence, but later he was set up with the following question, posed by Scott Armstrong, the duly elected representative of the people of Cumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley.

Mr. Speaker, Newfoundlanders and Labradorians received a lump of coal from the interim Liberal leader this week when he forgot their province was actually part of Canada. He wrote a letter to his supporters saying that daylight broke over Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia and began its journey across the country.

Conservatives know that Peggy’s Cove is 1,100 kilometres west of St. John’s, the most eastern city in this country. Can the minister responsible for Newfoundland and Labrador please inform the Liberal leader that his province is part of Canada and that our government is committed to delivering for them?

Two months ago I noted that Mr. Penashue had made it through 27 sitting days without saying anything in the House. A few days after that he made his first comments and he has now made a total of nine interventions.

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