Inside Politics

Orders of the Day - So many committee meetings, so little time

by Kady O'Malley Posted: March 30, 2010 8:27 AM Last Updated: March 30, 2010 8:39 AM
Well, it's finally happened: the nightmare scenario that I envisioned when I realized that three -- three! -- of the committees most likely to provide liveblogging fodder were now in direct conflict with each other, thanks to a rejigged schedule that has all three meeting between 11 and 1pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Which is why this morning, I'll be forced to choose between Procedure and House Affairs, which resumes its study of Irwin Cotler's ten percenter-incited privilege complaint with an appearance by House Law Clerk Rob Walsh; Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics, which will hear from Information Commissioner Suzanne Legault; and Foreign Affairs, which kicks off an investigation into the situation at Rights and Democracy with testimony from a trio of former staffers fired for publicly voicing their concern. 

(Spoiler Alert: I'll be at Foreign Affairs, but I'll be following up on what transpired at the other two meetings as well.)

The notice list is, in fact, rich with possibilities beyond even those three, with meetings on everything from military vehicles (Public Accounts) to isotopes (Natural Resources) to immigration wait times (Citizenship and Immigration) to the oil sands (Environment) to prison farm closures (Public Safety).

Meanwhile, in the House, the government may finally get the chance to move for time allocation on the Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement -- unless, of course, the NDP and the Bloc Quebecois have a filibuster-flavoured surprise in store for them this morning. Speaking of the NDP, Churchill MP Niki Ashton was able to score a rare victory yesterday, successfully persuading the speaker to grant her request for an emergency debate on the Aboriginal Healing Foundation, which will take place this evening.

Finally, the prime minister meets with US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton this morning before he heads to Chelsea for the G-8 Foreign Ministers' Meeting, "accompanied," as the press release puts it, by his own foreign minister, Lawrence Cannon.

Tags: blackberry jungle, orders of the day