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Paul Calandra is doing the job he was told to do.

He isn’t some rogue backbencher whose gaffe has caused a blip of embarrassment. The prime minister chose Calandra to be his own parliamentary secretary. If the prime minister wanted him to answer direct questions, he would. But he is being sent out, day after day, into the House of Commons and onto television to be deliberately obtuse.

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Calandra has chosen to play the buffoon, and the prime minister has decided to make him the public face of the government of Canada. In fact, Calandra is following the question-period strategy set by other of Harper’s parliamentary secretaries, such as Dean Del Mastro and Pierre Poilievre.

On Sept. 23, the Leader of the Opposition, Thomas Mulcair, asked in question period: “Will the Conservative government confirm that the 30-day Canadian commitment in Iraq will indeed end on October 4?”

Calandra stood up and answered, “Mr. Speaker, there is a great deal of confusion with respect to the NDP position on Israel.” He went on to ramble about an NDP fundraiser, while many of the people’s representatives reacted with shocked laughter.