Joe Preston

More MPs decline to send out the flyer

Among the Conservaties who stood in the House this week and criticized the NDP’s stance on cap-and-trade were Kyle Seeback, Peter Van Loan, Gord Brown, Leon Benoit, Shelly Glover, Chris Warkentin, LaVar Payne, Gerry Ritz, Pierre Poilievre, Christian Paradis, Rick Dykstra, Randy Hoback, Pierre Lemieux, Ed Fast, Tony Clement and Andrew Saxton. These individuals—like Phil McColeman, Joe Preston and Ed Holder, who attacked the NDP last week—were all Conservative candidates in 2008 when the Conservative party platform included a commitment to pursue a continental cap-and-trade system.

Aaron Wherry on the first day back

NDP MP Irene Mathyssen responds to the letter three Conservative MPs sent to the London Free Press.

With Thomas Mulcair visiting Brantford, Conservative MP Phil McColeman uses the phrase “carbon tax” three times in the space of a five-sentence quote (and his remarks are reported without being challenged).

Fans of both supply management and proper parliamentary practice take note: the government side sent up Joe Preston this afternoon to attempt to ask the following.

After Michael Chong’s motion to reform QP was passed at second reading during the last Parliament, the Procedure and House Affairs Committee began a study—transcript here—of his proposals. Unfortunately, that study wasn’t completed before the government was defeated and Parliament dissolved.

Shortly before Question Period, the NDP’s David Christopherson stood to note that the Conservatives had not yet come forward with legislation to enhance the chief electoral officer’s investigative powers, as unanimously suggested by the House. Mr. Christopherson then lamented for the chief electoral officer’s committee appearance tomorrow.

Ryan Dolby, the NDP candidate in Elgin-Middlesex-London, has stepped down, apparently out of fear of splitting the vote.

In a two-part post—here and here—Kady O’Malley reviews all that has befallen Parliament’s committee system.

Chris Selley memorializes the veiled-voter debate.

Various questions and answers from Conservative Joe Preston’s scrum after QP today. The topic is expenses incurred by CBC executives.