A good day for transparency: Committee to study 'inappropriate' use of in camera sessions ...

.... and Burlington MP Mike Wallace backs off his threat to move all future business debate behind closed doors

Turns out it was worth staking out that in camera meeting yesterday morning, if only to allow one to say that one was there -- or as close as one could get, which, in this case, meant hanging out in the hallway outside -- the day that parliamentary sanity won out over paranoid secrecy around the Procedure and House Affairs committee table. 

To which one can only add a hearty - and parliamentary "Hear, hear." Kudos to the opposition for picking up the issue -- and to the government members for not shutting it down

The motion, as agreed to by the committee:

It was agreed, -- That, the Committee, as part of its mandate under Standing Order 108 (3) (iii) "the review of and report on the Standing Orders, procedure and practice in the House and its committees", examine the use of secret "In Camera" sessions to discuss substantive motions in contravention of Standing Order 116 ("In a standing, special or legislative committee, the Standing Orders shall apply so far as may be applicable, except the Standing Orders as to the election of a Speaker, seconding of motions, limiting the number of times of speaking and the length of speeches"), across our committee system, and that this issue be the first order of business when the committee undertakes their review of the Standing Orders.

Does this mean that the Wallace motion will be quietly withdrawn? Stay tuned to find out!