committee liveblogging
Of all the committees on the Hill, the CHRC wound up here? Liveblogging the Subcommittee on Int’l Human Rights
ITQ has to admit that she’s a little bit curious as to how, exactly, officials from the Canadian Human Rights Commission wound up on the witness list at the Subcommittee on International Human Rights, which begins its study of “human rights commissions” this afternoon. It’s not that she doesn’t think it’s a worthy topic — goodness knows there’s enough confusion and controversy surrounding the issue — but doesn’t this particular committee usually stick to topics with an international focus? Human rights in China, persecution of religious minorities in Iran, the possible repatriation of Omar Khadr – you know, that kind of thing? Maybe the CHRC is just here to help MPs get their bearings on the various raisons d’etre of CHRC’s global counterparts. Nevertheless, she’ll be there for today’s meeting, which will also include an appearance by Alan Borovoy, general counsel to the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.
So, who’s going to be the first to bring up the Raitt tape? Liveblogging the Natural Resources committee
On the agenda this afternoon: Various medical associations, including the Canadian Association of Nuclear Medicine and the Canadian Association of Radiologists.
ITQ goes nuclear (round two): Liveblogging AECL and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission at Natural Resources
That’s right, after spending the first part of our day watching AECL’s chief financial officer shift uncomfortably under questioning at Government Operations, once more into the breach we plunge, as the Natural Resources committee hears from the embattled nuclear agency’s president, Hugh MacDiarmid, as well as Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission chair Michael Binder. Considering how wildly laudatory the latter was towards the former during his last committee appearance, ITQ isn’t expecting much in the way of apocalyptic fingerwagging from the nuclear regulator, who definitely doesn’t seem to have any interest in becoming the new Linda Keen.
Again with the shovels: Liveblogging Gov’t Ops on the stimulus package
From the witness list, it looks like the gang’s all here: Western Economic Diversification, Human Resources, the National Research Council, along with a very special last minute political zeitgeistalicious addition: AECL executive vice-president Michael Robins, who will likely be the main target for the opposition — now freshly armed with new numbers, courtesy of CTV. That doesn’t mean the other witnesses will necessarily get off easy, though — when it comes to a multibillion dollar stimulus package, there are usually more than enough pointed questions to go around.
Hey, remember that $3 billion “slush fund” that almost triggered an election? Liveblogging Vic Toews at Govt Ops
Anyone else getting a creeping sense of deja vu from the description of today’s meeting? I swear I’ve liveblogged this before, although last time, it was John Baird assuring the opposition that there was no need to pester the government for details on Vote 35, or, more specifically, the $3 billion in short-order stimulicious spending goodness with which it would shower the land. I guess we’ll find out how that went, huh? And aren’t you glad we’re past the era of empty bluster and don’t-push-me-on-this-I-swear-I’ll-turn-this-Parliament-around-and-go-home brinksmanship?
Shovel ’em if you got ’em
Liveblogging the Parliamentary Budget Office at Finance
One of our aircraft is miss— oh, never mind. There it is: Liveblogging the Russian Embassy at National Defence
Check back at 3:30 p.m. for full coverage as the Defence committee begins an opposition-initiated investigation into last month’s allegedly illicit intrusion attempt by a Russian military jet with an appearance by embassy political attache Dmitry Trofimov.
Let’s put that the “no yelling” rule to the test: Liveblogging the Library of Parliament committee
Full disclosure: the last time ITQ covered the Library committee, it was pretty much just to see if it could be done without the liveblogger lapsing into a coma, but this time, it might actually get interesting. Why? Three words: Parliamentary Budget Officer. Who won’t be there – not this time, anyway, although at least one opposition party – the Bloc Quebecois, to be specific – has a motion to launch a full investigation of the relationship between the Library and the PBO. Somehow, though, I suspect that Parliamentary Librarian William Young will be fielding a few questions on the subject during his appearance today.
Pay equity, corporate mergers and the Law of the Sea – Liveblogging the budget at the Senate finance committee
Seriously, this is one of the more eclectic witness lists ITQ has seen in a while – not that that’s a bad thing; I, for one, am oddly reassured by the knowledge that we have a Maritime Law Secretariat.
He always seemed to prefer Lester B. Pearson to Langevin
Liveblogging Joe Clark at the Foreign Affairs committee
Because we haven’t seen nearly enough of John Baird lately: Liveblogging the Government Operations committee
Everyone’s favourite Minister of Shovel Readiness will be talking stimulus, of course – I’m guessing he probably does in his sleep at this point – and will, ITQ predicts, be facing a lot of very pointed questions about that $3 billion how-dare-you-suggest-it’s-a-slush fund.
The price of freedom is eternal vigilance. And committee meetings.
Liveblogging Public Safety’s review of the O’Connor and Iacobucci reports