Moments after speaking in the House of Commons Tuesday (above), NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair told reporters in the House of Commons foyer (my emphasis):
You know, as far as we’re concerned, when you ask a question that corresponds to all the rules on a very important subject of national concern like Canada’s involvement in a war in Iraq, Canadians deserve better and they deserve more respect for our institutions than we got today. … And frankly, the Prime Minister should have been there today. That’s his role to be in the House.
Wait. Hold on. That’s not what one of Mulcair’s senior MPs was saying at almost exactly the same time. Megan Leslie told reporters he should not have been in the House to answer questions from her leader but should have been in New York City:
Also in the House of Commons foyer, speaking to many of the same reporters, NDP MP Megan Leslie (pictured above), her party’s environment critic, criticized Stephen Harper for skipping the United Nations Climate Summit 2014. Here’s some of what she told reporters who scrummed her at almost the same time Mulcair was scrumming (my emphasis):
I think it’s incredible that there is a UN Climate Summit of leaders and our prime minister is not there. … I think it’s incredible that the prime minister is not there. … So I think he needs to be there and I think it’s really shameful that he’s not. … We’re missing out on diplomatic opportunities, the fact that all these nations are there together, talking, exchanging ideas.
And what was Harper doing? Well, according to his own Twitter feed, he was, in fact, in NYC at a climate change summit dinner:
Arriving at the @UN Secretary-General's dinner on climate change with PM David Cameron #UNGA #cdnpoli @number10gov pic.twitter.com/aYhrhuqpua
— Stephen Harper (@pmharper) September 24, 2014
Hardly! Either or would be fine, but of the two places where his duties are, he’s in neither
Sure, that’s a fair catch. But I think the reason Mulcair wanted Harper to be there to answer questions is when he is not in the House all Canadians get subjected to the non-sequitor factory that is Paul Calindra.
Mr. Akin
Many are beginning to find “YOU” rather obnoxious when it seems you are forever defending the the one person you is bent on selling this country out to not necessarily the highest Bidder. This idiot hopes to complete a free trade agreement that will literally hand cuff the Rights of the Common Folk while catering to the outlandish want and demand of the Corporate sector. With the Chinese and now with the EU deals that will allow huge lawsuits to be filed against the Canadian government if hoped for profit margins are not realized.
I rarely read your BS anymore and most of the BS that comes out of Sun Media