Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt defends herself from opposition attacks during Question Period in the House of Commons on June 3, 2009.CHRIS WATTIE
The topic was predictable, but some of the detours taken by questioners over the Lisa Raitt episode were not.
The most unusual exchange during Question Period today came between Ms. Raitt and deputy NDP leader Thomas Mulcair, who asked why Ms. Raitt was laying the blame for forgetting secret documents at the CTV bureau on a subservient underling, who ended up having to resign over the matter.
Mr. Mulcair, standing in for the absent Jack Layton, found himself the subject of thunderous catcalls from the government benches for the underling remark, while Ms. Raitt suggested that that Mr. Mulcair was being sexist.
"I am more concerned about the tone in which the honourable member has put this forward, indicating that perhaps only a woman could be subservient," she said.
Mr. Mulcair shot back that Ms. Raitt's remark was one "for the record books."
"…that is pure, unmitigated nonsense."
Almost as surprisingly, Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff did not take the opportunity to call for Ms. Raitt's resignation, as did almost every other opposition MP who raised the matter.
Rather, Mr. Ignatieff called it despicable that Ms. Raitt's employee took the fall, and wondered, sarcastically, whether it was the same youthful aide who was responsible for the current isotope shortage.
"It is presumably this 26 year old who is responsible for the whole darn department," the Liberal Leader said. "How are we supposed to believe such a fiction? When will the minister take her responsibilities seriously?
The Natural Resources Minister responded, as she did to almost every attack, by saying: "This is a serious matter. Clear procedures were not followed. We have taken corrective measures."
Finally, Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe questioned why Ms. Raitt survived while foreign affairs minister Maxime Bernier, who also forgot a set of documents, did not. Mr. Bernier was forced to resign after leaving his documents at the home of his girlfriend at the time, Julie Couillard, while Ms. Raitt's documents were left in a newsroom, where reporters would presumably know what to do with them.
"This is not serious," he said.