Ken Epp Award Nominee: Paul Martin

I really wish I didn't have to do this. Senior ministers, by dint of their parliamentary experience, are not supposed to make the kinds of rhetorical mistakes that make politicians eligible for the Ken Epp Award.

But lo and behold, here's the Prime Minister himself, responding to a question on the Kashechewan evacuation:

Mr. Jim Prentice (Calgary Centre-North, CPC): Mr. Speaker ... during the August 19 meeting, the chief of Kashechewan presented the minister with a binder describing the squalor, the sewage-contaminated water and the condemned houses. The minister did nothing for eight weeks. He did not write to them. He did not call them. He did not fix the water system. He did not evacuate the community. It was left to Ontario to take care of this problem.

Will the minister resign?

Right Hon. Paul Martin (Prime Minister, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, for well over a year and a half this minister has devoted 24 hours a day to aboriginal Canadians. We have had cabinet meetings with aboriginal leaders. We have had round tables. He has done everything to build up toward the first ministers meeting.

Day after day the opposition has said nothing in support of aboriginal Canadians. Day after day those members have voted against every single measure we have brought forward for aboriginal Canadians. That critic and that opposition ought to resign.

Let's fisk this, shall we?

"Mr. Speaker, for well over a year and a half this minister has devoted 24 hours a day to aboriginal Canadians."

So we're supposed to believe that Andy Scott has had no food or sleep for over a year and a half? This is badly placed exaggeration; he would have done better to praise Mr. Scott's devotion to his work instead of resorting to the ridiculous.

"We have had cabinet meetings with aboriginal leaders. We have had round tables. He has done everything to build up toward the first ministers meeting."

The PM has made a rhetorical substitution: he has substituted activity for action. The fact that he lists all these meetings, instead of actual actions taken, pretty much makes Mr. Prentice's point for him.

"Day after day the opposition has said nothing in support of aboriginal Canadians. Day after day those members have voted against every single measure we have brought forward for aboriginal Canadians."

Once again, overexaggeration. Aboriginal matters don't come up before the House everyday. The job of Opposition is, by its very nature, reactive. It's government action (or, in this case, inaction) that the Opposition is supposed to criticize.

"That critic and that opposition ought to resign."

This is probably the stupidest response the PM could possibly have made.

The opposition is doing exactly the job they're supposed to do: hold the government accountable. In fact, the entire point of Question Period is to hold the government accountable. The opposition is not held accountable during Question Period because the Opposition doesn't run the government.

The PM, in calling for the Opposition to resign, is acting like an Opposition leader. Perhaps the voters will give him that chance come the next election.