Maclean’s is your home for the daily political theatre that is question period. If you’ve never watched, check out our primer. Today, QP runs from 2:15 p.m. until just past 3. We livestream and liveblog all the action.

The recap

The context

Parliament should be democracy’s sanctuary. The parliamentarians who debate the nation’s business go about their days on the Hill behind a veil of security—House of Commons and Senate guards on the inside, Mounties on the outside. Michael Zehaf-Bibeau’s fiery charge through Centre Block’s front doors last October prompted a review of the security status quo, and changes could be afoot. The government could invite the RCMP to take over security within a matter of days; the top Mountie, Bob Paulson, says he’s had only preliminary discussions to that effect.

All the while, parliamentarians walk in and out of the precinct’s buildings, stroll from meeting to meeting, vote when they’re called, and expect to do all of it without fear of harm. The uniforms around them may change, and that transition is by no means simple, but the job remains the same: protect the sanctuary.