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The usual suspects

A potentially interesting note from the Globe’s review of changes in Michael Ignatieff’s office.

Instead of a roll call of Liberal MPs posing queries in Question Period, expect a core group of spokespeople, perhaps five or six, to take most of the Commons limelight.

It is tempting to say this is a good idea, but perhaps only because it is any idea. Legislated reform of Question Period should still be considered. But there is probably much parties and members could do on their own. Must each party, for instance, pursue a half dozen different topics each day? Could they, instead, go repeatedly at just one or two topics? Why restrict the leader of the opposition to three questions and other members to two? The most riveting exchange of the past two years was Stephane Dion and Stephen Harper’s back-and-forth of last December. For the sake of the nation, we needn’t go through that exact sort of thing too often, but there is probably something to be said for more often deviating from the routine. Or, for that matter, doing away with much of the routine entirely.

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