It was a heated day for question period; 30 seconds in Speaker Ted Arnott had to stop the clock to simmer down rowdy members.
<h3>Politburo problems</h3>
NDP Deputy Leader Sara Singh’s question about chief medical officer of health Dr. Kieran Moore’s recent vacation to the Dominican Republic and Premier Doug Ford’s obfuscation of his absence was what drew aggressive dissent from the government’s side.
“Is this how we’re going to start?” Arnott asked the house.
“Is that really the leadoff question in question period today?” asked Government House Leader Paul Calandra. The government draws advice from “a lot of people” and not just Moore, he added.
“Perhaps the Politburo might want to expand who they talk to every once in a while,” Calandra quipped.
Singh made clear in her response that the NDP was more concerned about the premier’s “tenuous commitment to the truth” than Moore’s vacation and mentioned a similar situation where then-finance minister Rod Phillips went abroad supposedly without the premier’s knowledge.
“The member opposite says it’s not about Dr. Moore, but it has been about the chief medical officer of health in the province from day one,” Calandra responded. “Because the NDP had not agreed with them from day one.”
Singh tried one more time to get Calandra to answer straightforwardly but instead drew some heavy-handed heat from him.
“What an absolute load of garbage that is coming from the member opposite,” said Calandra, who (perhaps surprisingly) Arnott did not reprimand directly for unparliamentary language.
“I sense there’s a lot of excitement in the house today for some reason,” Arnott said after Calandra had finished, and asked members to “not be overly personal, not attacking each other.”
<h3>The last Yarde</h3>
NDP MPP Kevin Yarde asked what he said would be his last question for the foreseeable future on Wednesday, after he was <a href="https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2022/04/08/one-term-brampton-north-mpp-kevin-yarde-loses-rare-challenge-for-partys-nomination-to-run-in-election.html">defeated in a nomination race</a> for his seat. MPPs from all sides gave a standing ovation as Yarde began.
“Run as an independent,” someone from the government’s side yelled as Yarde asked the government to commit to “three fully functioning hospitals in Brampton.”
Health Minister Christine Elliott responded that Bramptonians would get “their fair share, finally” which, according to her, they didn’t get under the Liberals who were “sadly, helped by the NDP.”
Yarde pressed again, saying the people of Brampton feel like “second- and third-class citizens” because of their lack of access to local emergency rooms.
“The only people we’re hearing from who indicate that Brampton needs three hospitals are the members opposite,” Elliott said, adding that Brampton will get a new “stand-alone” hospital.
“The people of Brampton are very, very happy that they’re going to be receiving this additional hospital and it’s going to be fully functioning.”
<h3>Succinct Sylvia</h3>
The NDP’s Catherine Fife brought up the recent resignation of a provincially appointed member of the Peterborough Police Services Board Les Kariunas, after <a href="https://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/news/peterborough-region/2022/04/12/peterborough-police-board-chair-les-kariunas-resigns.html?rf">a video surfaced</a> of him canvassing for the local PC MPP.
Fife asked why the government has “such a hard time, such a challenging time separating their partisan political interests from public safety and the police?”
Solicitor General Sylvia Jones had a brief answer: “As the member opposite accurately depicted, the police services board member in question did do something inappropriate and tendered his resignation, which of course we have accepted. Thank you.”
Unsatisfied, Fife pointed out that provincial appointees to <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=ottawa+police+services+board+qp+birefing&amp;rlz=1C1GCEA_enCA994CA994&amp;oq=ottawa+police+services+board+qp+birefing&amp;aqs=chrome..69i57j33i160l2.4623j0j9&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">police services boards resigning</a> due to scandals was a “pattern of behaviour” and asked if the government would “try to sweep this under the rug.”
Saying she wasn’t sure if Fife had understood her previous answer, Jones repeated it word-for-word.
<h3>‘Scandal-ridden, plagued, crooked’</h3>
Liberal MPP Amanda Simard brought up concerns about a cement plant in Champlain and alleged that the environment ministry “issued an environmental compliance approval that was based on erroneous data provided by the proponent of the project.”
Environment Minister David Piccini said he would “be happy to sit down and have a meeting with that member about this specific issue,” but found it “ironic” that the Liberals would want political intervention in environmental assessments.
Simard emphasized that her community was “fiercely opposed” to the project and that the local county warden, who is the PC candidate challenging Simard, “had the power to stop this project before it even got here, (but) did absolutely nothing.”
“I think, Mr. Speaker, that member might be a little nervous about the fantastic candidate who is applying a little pressure and is likely going to beat her in the next election,” Piccini responded. “We’ll take no lessons from the scandal-ridden, plagued, crooked previous government.”
Piccini was asked by the speaker to withdraw his last comment, which he did adding “Sorry, I got carried away.”

Your question period briefing: ‘Absolute load of garbage’

Read this for free.