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UPDATED - Orders of the Day - Let Your (Non-Freak Only, Please) Flag Fly!

Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore will throw his support behind a government backbencher's bid to ensure that the National Flag of Canada can flutter unfettered by overly officious landlords or homeowners' associations. 

Later today, the minister will join Conservative MP John Carmichael as he introduces a private members' bill to prohibit - on pain of jail time, no less - any attempt to prevent its display, provided that it is presented "in a manner befitting this national symbol," albeit "not for an improper purpose or use," and "not subjected to desecration," which would seem to rule out its frequent appearance within the traditional hey-it-beats-driving-out-to-Ikea-for-cheap-venetian-blinds school of interior decorating. 

Read the full text of the proposed bill here: Private Members Bill on the National Flag of Canada  

In what may or may not be related news, the press conference at which another backbench Conservative MP, Brian Storseth, was set to present his motion to do away with the perennially contentious Section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act, which governs the communication of "hate messages" by phone and online, has, it seems, been canceled without explanation. 

UPDATE: The motion in question is also not listed on the Notice Paper, which means that it will not be introduced today, although in theory, he can do so at any point before his number -- #15, as it happens -- in the PMB lottery comes up. 

On the Hill today: It's Caucus Day, so you know the drill: MPs from all parties retreat behind closed doors to plot strategy; meanwhile, reporters stake out the various exit routes in hopes of capturing one or more upon arrival or egress.

Once the various caucuses wrap up for the week and the Chamber reopens for business, the omnicrime bill (C-10) will undergo a final day of second reading debate before being dispatched to committee for what may or may not turn out to be a thorough, meticulous review, given the government's obvious antsiness to get it through the House within its self-imposed 100-sitting-day deadline. It is likely worth pointing out (again) that the time allocation motion passed yesterday covers only the current stage; a new one will have to be passed in order to curtail debate at report stage and third reading. 

Also on the Notice Paper for today: Reintroduction of bills that spent much of the 40th Parliament languishing on the Order Paper: An Act To amend the Copyright Act and An Act to amend the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act.

As for the committee front, it appears to be Orientation Day for new (and forgetful returning) committee members: At Industry, MPs will get an "overview of the department," courtesy of Deputy Minister Richard Dicerni, Senior Associate Deputy Minister Simon Kennedy and Chief Financial Officer Kelly Gillis; their colleagues on Transport learn more about a/the national public transit strategy with the help of Infrastructure Canada officials; and finally, Health hosts a "briefing on the department" with various unnamed "senior officials".

Meanwhile, over at Public Accounts, a report from the agenda subcommittee means that we may find out the fate of John McCallum's bid to -- oh, "investigate" sounds so suspicious, somehow; what about "look into"? - the shadowy virtual entity known as Shared Services Canada, which, as Weekly In Camera Committee Review readers will recall, was the only opposition-backed motion to survive last week's inaugural meeting. If time allows, the committee will also debate a motion from rookie NDP MP Guy Caron! 

(Full disclosure: That exclamation point was initially a typo, but I decided to leave it in hopes that it will serve as inspiration during this afternoon's debate, which is currently slated to take place in public.) 

UPDATE: Apparently, Caron's motion will call on the committee to "continue important work" that was started, but not concluded, during the 40th Parliament, and he'll hold a press conference to discuss it before the meeting is scheduled to take place. 

The advisory notes that it is "customary for House committees to re-introduce these studies" when a new parliament gets underway.) 

For up to the minute dispatches from the precinct and beyond, keep your eye on the Parliament Hill Ticker below -- or, alternatively, bookmark it and check back throughout the day. 

Mobile-friendly auto-updating text feed available here

Tags: blackberry jungle, orders of the day