Goodbye speNDP, Hello dysfunctional government

Jabs in question period are always hyper-critical and laced with angry rhetoric. But this session there's been a shift in language.

Opposition Tories used to call the government the SpeNDP in virtually every exchange, areference to what the Progressive Conservative's call the NDP's financial mismanagement.

In 2013, the government said it needed more money, so it had to raise and widen the PST.

Since then, the Tories have harped the "SpeNDP" doesn't have a revenue problem, but a spending problem.

I only heard SpeNDP once in question period today.

Instead, now the opposition has adopted a new tag line. Easily a dozen times today, PC critics referred to the NDP as "this dysfunctional government," an obvious jab at recent public infighting within the NDP.

The topic du jour was the government's handling of Child and Family Services.

It was the opposition's first time to officially question the government about its handling of CFS since the death of Tina Fontaine this summer.

No doubt most Canadians now know - Fontaine was the teen whose body was pulled from the Red River in August.

She had been a child in CFS care and she had stayed in a hotel on an emergency basis just before going missing.

The opposition chastised the government for its use of hotels in emergencies.

It reminded the Selinger government of an internal report that first warned about the practice of putting at-risk-kids in hotels 10 years ago.

"They still didn't listen, nothing's changed," PC Leader Brian Pallister accused.

Premier Greg Selinger was quick to point out much has changed.

He even trotted out a very significant statistic.

Earlier this year there were as many as 85 kids staying in hotels. Last week there were eight.

The number of CFS kids in hotelsMonday night was down to one.

The government would argue this is more than a one-off good night. It's the result of policy change that is moving the province away from the reliance on hotel visits.

Last week, the NDP announced 71 additional foster parent spots and about 200 more CFS workers.

Irvin-Ross and Selinger were quick to remind the opposition of this CFS overhaul at every opportunity.

The most emotional moment in question period today came as Family Services Minister Kerri Irvin-Ross reacted to the record number of kids in care in Manitoba.

The Tories said the sad statistic is a result of "this dysfunctional government's failed approach."

"No one is proud of 10,000 kids in care," Irvin-Ross began somberly. "But they are safe ---"

With that the Child and Family Services Minister was cut off with shouts from the entire PC caucus.

"They are not safe!" rang out in the chamber. "The money is not working," yelled PC MLA Stu Briese.

It was clear in that moment; the rhetoric didn't matter.

The names didn't matter. Each side thinks they have it right.

What matters is policy, actions and results.