Pierre Paquette

Bev Oda addresses “the confusion” over the KAIROS document

After John McKay, Paul Dewar and Pierre Paquette rose on points of privilege yesterday, several more points were made after QP today, including the government’s response via Tom Lukiwski, the parliamentary secretary to the Government House leader.

Shortly after Question Period, Liberal John McKay rose to raise a question of privilege related to International Cooperation Minister Bev Oda. He concluded as follows.

Despite not having done anything with the bill since April 1 and despite anonymous government sources saying the initiative was doomed, the government sent up Tom Lukiwski last week to affirm that there is a commitment to moving forward, at some unspecified date, with Bill C-12, an act to amend the constitution to add more seats to the House of Commons.

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:

And so next week looks potentially pivotal in various ways for various parties.

Never mind the prediction part of that last update. Talks have ended for the day. All parties will convene again tomorrow morning at 9am.

“This issue has long since been dealt with.”

Yesterday’s debate, in its entirety, after the jump.

Canadian Press photographer Tom Hanson passed away suddenly last night. Canwest reporter David Akin notes his passing here.

Okay. so I just happened to be watching post-vote Points of Order, and who should pop up but Bloc Quebecois MP Pierre Paquette with a motion to have the House recognize the birthday of Charles Darwin and the 150th anniversary of the first publication of On the Origin of Species. Does he have unanimous consent? Sadly, he does not — and since I wasn’t actually in the Chamber, I can’t tell y’all who denied it, but hopefully someone who was there was paying attention and will be able to fill me in. I’ll keep you posted. It just seems so petty, somehow.

The text of Paquette’s motion:
M. Pierre Paquette (Joliette, BQ): Monsieur le Président, je demande le consentement unanime de la Chambre pour l’adoption de la motion suivante, et je vous la lis:

Que cette Chambre souligne le 200e anniversaire de naissance de Charles Darwin et le 150e anniversaire de la publication De l’origine des espèces par sélection naturelle ou des lois de transformation des êtres organisés, livre qui a initié la théorie de l’évolution, seule explication scientifiquement avérée et reconnue à l’origine de l’être humain.

Sarkozy’s indifference is just the latest sign of sovereignty’s wane