The scrums: Penashue’s re-election bid, arms treaty negotiations

Three highlights from this afternoon’s post-Question Period scrums:

1. NDP Leader Tom Mulcair on Penashue’s re-election bid in Labrador: [Stephen Harper] is spending public money to help somebody who’s resigned. Either [Penashue] resigned because he did something wrong, and he shouldn’t be allowed back, or he didn’t do anything wrong. Since he’s admitted he’s done something wrong, he shouldn’t be allowed back. How can [Harper] possibly let that happen? Elections Canada hasn’t even finished its investigation. It’s unheard of in the history of the Parliament of Canada what’s going on here today. It’s clear that [Conservatives] hatched this plot. He knew the date of the resignation. He knew exactly what was going on. This is all calculated by the Conservatives to try to keep that riding. It’s a scandal of the first order. 

2. Interim Liberal Leader Bob Rae on Penashue’s bid for re-election: [Stephen Harper] is campaigning in the House of Commons. They’ve been doing it since yesterday. They’re clearly doing it on the floor of the House. They’re using Question Period as an opportunity to campaign. Look, I mean I’ve been around. I’ve seen hard ball politics played. The only way this government knows how to campaign is to throw the ball at your head, so that’s what they’re going to do. But normal people would apologize. Normal people, people with standards, people with a sense of morality, would say I’m sorry, and then say how can we move on? This government does not know … being a Tory is never having to say you’re sorry.

3. NDP MP Paul Dewar on the Conservative inclusion of a gun advocate in its delegation at UN arms treaty negotiations: If you’re appointing someone from the gun lobby to negotiate a treaty on arms trade instead of actually bringing in professional diplomats, then it says a lot. And so I think the, the actions speak louder than, than anything. But what we have to see from the government is that are they committed to the arms trade treaty? Are they committed as President Obama is, to stop the illegal flow of arms in the, in conflict zones, yes or no? And if not, why not?