Yet, it is just the latest example of the demises of civility in our federal politics, a development that goes well beyond predictable partisanship and speaks to something deeper involving those we send to Ottawa to represent us.
Liberal MP Marc Garneau, the first Canadian in space, was blunt about how he felt about being left off the guest list for the opening of a new permanent exhibit of the Canadarm at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum.
He said he felt “insulted . . . I think it’s impolite, it’s disgusting.’’
Garneau has had a rough ride in celebrating his legacy of late.
A year ago, he accused New Democrat MP Jonathan Tremblay, who occupied his former office, of stealing a box of toy space shuttles meant for the space man, who was to autograph them and then distribute them.
Instead, the NDP MP distributed them himself.
Then more recently, of course, Garneau’s celebrity status did nothing to stop him from crashing and burning in the Liberal leadership race when placed against the larger celebrity of Justin Trudeau.
But this time, Garneau doth not protest too much.
The government, specifically Heritage Minister James Moore who represented the Conservatives at the opening, denied any plot against Garneau, saying it had nothing to do with the guest list and blaming the mix up on the museum.
They pointed to the attendance of Mauril Belanger, the Liberal MP who represents the riding in which the museum is located.
A simple apology or explanation would have gone a long way, but the Conservatives tried to turn it to partisan advantage when it was raised in the Commons Friday — by NDP MP Dan Harris.
Moore’s parliamentary secretary, Paul Calandra, first tried to turn the question back on the NDP by claiming they didn’t want to talk about history, then turned the screws on Garneau.
“We are very proud of Canada’s astronauts,’’ he said. “It is a shame that the Liberal party rejected him by 80 per cent at their leadership convention.’’
A government that tried to turn a snub — deliberate or oversight — into some type of political advantage, defies analysis.
But just last week, my colleague Susan Delacourt revealed that Prime Minister Stephen Harper had not bothered to call Trudeau to congratulate him on his Liberal leadership victory.
Petty?
Well, as Delacourt pointed out, it is an unwritten tradition, and Harper did phone Tom Mulcair after his NDP leadership win. Harper received a call from then-prime minister Paul Martin when he won the Conservative leadership.
Harper did chat briefly with Trudeau in the Commons lobby on the Liberal leader’s first day on the job and congratulated him in his response to Trudeau’s first question as leader, but he has thus far not shown the respect for Trudeau that he accorded Mulcair when he became opposition leader.
Trudeau, the new kid on the high road, has been known to take a detour into the ditch himself in the past.
Trudeau, infamously called Environment Minister Peter Kent “a piece of s---,’’ after Kent questioned why deputy opposition leader Megan Leslie had not attended a climate change conference in South Africa, neglecting to acknowledge the government had dropped all opposition critics from its delegation list.
NDP MP Pat Martin has become legendary for his response to Conservatives snubbing him at government announcements in his home Winnipeg riding, and he erupted again recently in his reaction to the government “carpet bombing” of his riding with negative flyers.
“Dirty, rotten bastards,’’ said Martin.
Harper tries to place himself above the fray, even as he pulls the string.
A number of his backbenchers have refused party entreaties to use their taxpayer-paid mailing privileges to send out missives attacking Trudeau, and Harper has been accused of hypocrisy on the question of bullying, decrying it when it leads to tragedy for young Canadians, but using it in the political forum.
He deflected questions about the flyers Friday, saying he was looking forward to “vigorous debate over the next couple of years,’’ with Trudeau and his other political adversaries.
Vigorous debate is something most Canadians would welcome.
A larger game of high school confidential being played out on the national stage has become quite tiresome.
Original Article
Source: thestar.com
Author: Tim Harper
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