Orders of the Day - What price MP pensions? Ask the Canadian Taxpayers Federation!

NDP leadership contenders gather in Toronto for an unofficial - but very possibly critical - debate organized by the local area council. Under the banner of "An Agenda for Canadian Cities", the eight candidates -- all of whom have, according to the advisory, "confirmed their participation" -- will "articulate their vision for urban centres" during three segments, which will focus on infrastructure renewal, social issues and sustainable economy.

Back in the nation's capital, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation is promising to put a price tag on MP pensions at a mid-morning press conference.

Also running the Hill press gauntlet: Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney, who heads to the National Press Theatre to discuss the latest edition of Monetary Policy Review

Meanwhile, the PM has summoned reporters -- or, at least, their cameras -- to his office for a pre-meeting photo-op before his closed-door meeting with Canadian Federation of Independent Business president Catherine Swift.

Outside the precinct, Treasury Board President Tony Clement joins Maxime Bernier for the much-anticipated release of the Red Tape Reduction Commission Recommendations Report, which will be unveiled at Gloucester cabinet shop later this morning, and Finance Minister Jim Flaherty holds a pre-budget video conference with unidentified participants in Toronto, Edmonton and Vancouver.

On the opposition front: Interim NDP Leader Nycole Turmel meets "citizens and mayors" in the Portneuf region. Her interim third party counterpart is in Toronto, where he's skedded to join caucus members for the official launch of the Skills and Trade Tour -- which, for the record, was first announced at the close of last weekend's convention, and has, as far as I can tell, been underway since Monday -- at George Brown College.

Elsewhere on the good news circuit today:

• Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird takes the stage at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto, where he will laud the Beyond The Border Action! Plan before the doubtless cautiously approving eyes of the Canadian Club.
   
• In Winnipeg, Justice Minister Rob Nicholson announces funding for the Canadian Centre for Child Protection while his cabinet colleague, Minister of State for Seniors Alice Wong, hosts a "round table with stakeholders to discuss the economic and social priorities for Budget 2012. 
  
  
• Revenue Minister Gail Shea continues her tax credit-boosting sojourn along the West Coast with a stop at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. 

Programming note: Like Wikipedia, your intrepid blogger will be offline for much of the morning -- no, not to protest SOPA; it just happened to work out that way -- but will be back in action this afternoon.