NDP MP Matthew Kellway’s statement before QP yesterday afternoon.
NDP MP Matthew Kellway’s statement before QP yesterday afternoon.
Mr. Speaker, whether it is making up policies or fantasies about commies hiding under their beds, Conservative backbenchers can be counted on for a daily fix of fact-free statements and a trip to the twilight zone. Since the E. coli crisis began, the New Democrats have asked 33 questions about tainted meat, Conservatives not one. Are they talking about the economy or health care? No. Conservatives have made 32 statements and asked 10 questions, 1 out of every 4 Conservative questions, about us the New Democrats.
For my colleagues across the way, I ask if this is really what they wanted to do with their life in elected office, indulging the fantasy life of the kids in the PMO? Could the member about to rise please tell us what is going on in her riding and what she wants to do for Canadians? I urge the Conservatives to take Parliament seriously so Canadians can start taking them seriously.
This was preceded the day before by Matthew Dube’s statement and the two statements are apparently part of a concerted effort to publicly shame Conservative MPs.
“It’s a gentle and sometimes humorous shaming exercise for them to say, ‘You’re better than this, don’t do whatever the PMO wants you to do,'” NDP House leader Nathan Cullen said in an interview Thursday.
Cullen said some Tory backbenchers have privately told him they refuse to read the often-childish statements. The NDP’s latest tactic is aimed at shaming other backbenchers into similarly refraining. “If the only way to speak in Parliament as a Conservative is if you’re willing to repeat idiotic lies, then that says a lot about them and not about us.”