‘YOU KIDDING ME?’ Tories question effectiveness of Liberals’ school lunch program

Published Oct 21, 2024  •  2 minute read

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland rises during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. Photo by Sean Kilpatrick /The Canadian Press

OTTAWA — Assertions that the government’s fledgling school food program is making a difference in Canada’s ongoing affordability crisis raised some eyebrows during question period on Monday.

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Responding to Conservative questions about bureaucracy getting in the way of addressing growing numbers of Canadians lining up for food handouts, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland accused the Tories of “damning themselves” with their own words and boasted about personally handing out breakfast to schoolchildren during a photo op last week.

“I was at a school in downtown Winnipeg on Friday, I was there with Premier Wab Kinew, and we gave those beautiful, wonderful children some bannock, a little carton of milk, some jam, some butter and a banana,” she said, ignoring the surprised comments and laughter across the aisle.

“That was not bureaucracy that fed those kids, that was the deal we’ve done with Manitoba.”

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Freeland’s comments garnered an incredulous response from Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre.

“Are you kidding me? She says Canadians should be happy that while one in four kids go to school hungry, while two million people line up at food banks, while scurvy is making a comeback after nine years of this government, Canadians should be grateful that she showed up with a few snacks at a photo-op at one school?” Poilievre said.

“Mr. Speaker, this is the same finance minister who has just blown $7 billion past her deficit target, meaning more inflation and higher rates. Meanwhile, the prime minister hides in the fetal position under his desk.”

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, facing a confidence crisis within his own caucus thanks to cratering approval ratings, was conspicuously absent during Monday’s question period.

His daily itinerary, issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, listed Trudeau as in Ottawa but participating in no public events.

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Despite her comments, Freeland commented that she got one over on Poilievre.

“We have clearly knocked the leader of the Opposition off his game this afternoon,” she said, quickly drowned out by laughter and jeers from across the aisle.

“How can he have the temerity to talk about actual meals fed to actual children as bureaucracy?”

She continued, saying it shows how “low” and cynical “these Canadians” will go — clearly meaning to say “these Conservatives” in a curious Freudian slip.

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Government business in the House continues to be paralyzed due to ongoing privilege motions — now in its 11th day — as the Liberals refuse to make good on a production order demanding the release of unredacted documents related to the now-defunct Sustainable Development Technology Canada’s billion-dollar “green slush fund.”

House Speaker Greg Fergus ruled the government had indeed violated parliamentary privilege by refusing to release the documents.

That triggered a standoff where House business can’t continue until either debate collapses or if the Liberals can convince either the NDP or Bloc to support a closure motion — something neither party so far seems interested in doing.

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