Junior did not live up to his daddy's high standards in parliamentary discourse when displaying juvenile behaviour during Question Period in the House of Commons on Wednesday, June 15 2005. After prattling for months on end about the lack of civility in debate as he perceived it, the Prime Minister displayed a new low in parliamentary decorum, one not seen since an NDP member crossed the aisle and slammed a dead salmon down on the desk of the then Fisheries Minister, in protest against government inaction on West Coast fishery protection.

Observers of Paul Martin senior's contributions to and respect for the institution of Parliament could scarcely believe their eyes at the spectacle of the son degrading that respect in the most staged manner when replying to questions posed by the Leader of the Opposition. In what was obviously a well-planned act, Junior chose to table a copy of a popular diet book "for the benefit" of his questioner.

His premeditated act was in bad taste, and caused an uproar.

Leaving aside the correctness of his action in the strict parliamentary sense, he made a mockery of his own preaching for better manners, and called into question his perception of civility. As one commentator said: "Civility? He wouldn't recognize civility if it kicked him in the sphericals!"

If the Prime Minister thought up the act himself, he displayed a shocking lack of judgment. If his advisers thought it up, and he gladly accepted their advice-ditto.

His daddy would not approve.

For the benefit of readers the following is an extract from Hansard of June 15:

Right Hon. Paul Martin (Prime Minister, Lib.) : Mr. Speaker, I have now answered the hon. member's questions twice, but I would like to raise another issue. The deputy leader of the Conservative Party has said that the Leader of the Opposition is going to spend this summer on the barbecue circuit. I understand the dangers of the barbecue circuit and I would therefore like to table this document for the benefit of the Leader of the Opposition this summer. It is a document called The South Beach Diet.

Mr. Vic Toews (Provencher, CPC): Mr. Speaker, I do not think--

Some hon. members: Oh, oh!

The Speaker: Order, please. We have to go on with question period now. The hon. member for Provencher has the floor. We will have a little order, please.

Mr. Vic Toews: Mr. Speaker, I do not think Canadians are impressed by that kind of answer.

Lest some may question the credentials of this observer of the incident in question, they are referred to the House of Commons website, in particular to The Hansard Chronicles: A Celebration of the First Hundred Years of Hansard in Canada's Parliament, and to the accompanying summary.

--30--