Jean Dorion

Aside from a fire alarm, Question Period was highlighted, if that’s the right word, yesterday by various attempts to coax the government side into providing specific information on the transfer of children detained in Afghanistan. Jack Layton, Jean Dorion and Bob Rae all failed to find the right combination of words that unlocks such secrets—notably on the question of how many children have been transferred.

Our weekly, and wholly arbitrary, ranking of the ten most worthy, or at least entertaining, MPs, excluding the Prime Minister, cabinet members and party leaders. A celebration of all that is great and ridiculous about the House of Commons. Last week’s rankings appear in parentheses.

1. Maxime Bernier (3)
He’s made a mystery of himself, which must count for something.
2. Michael Chong (1)
3. Ralph Goodale (4)
Once every five or six weeks, the Liberals come up with a decently damning question—pointed, specific, demonstrating an ability to listen to and comprehend the words that are coming out of the government’s various mouths. Mr. Goodale’s queries on Thursday were as good as they’ve had since Mr. Ignatieff dinged the Prime Minister last month. 
4. Jack Harris (2)
5. Scott Brison (6)
The fight to co-opt Rob Ford’s particular brand of magic has begun.
6. Carolyn Bennett (5)
7. Candice Hoeppner (7)
8. Ken Dryden (10)
Has anyone who picked a fight with the press gallery ever lost? Is there a less sympathetic object of ridicule?
9. Mark Holland (9)
10. Pierre Paquette, Bob Rae, Jean Dorion, Wayne Marston, Johanne Deschamps (tie) (-)
The five MPs willing this week to ask about Omar Khadr.

Previous rankings: