Orders of the Day: Happy Flag Day/Third Reading of the Gun Registry Bill, everyone!

In what can only be described as an uncharacteristically modest event given this government's usual enthusiasm for low-risk, high-yield optics-friendly outpourings of Canadian patriotism, the PM will mark the occasion with a noon-hour photo-op in his Centre Block office to "honour the National Flag of Canada Day," at which he will be joined by Grande defi founder Pierre Lavoie. 

Across the river in Gatineau, Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore will make the Flag Day rounds at the Museum of Civilization, where he will take part in a special citizenship ceremony, and as far as I can tell, that's pretty much it, as far as officially sanctioned observations of the 46th anniversary of the inaugural appearance of the Maple Leaf on Parliament Hill. (Don't worry, seemingly forgotten flag -- in four years, you can claim full jubilee rights.) 

Incidentally, it's hard not to love the titles of the clips in the fabulous Flag Day collection harvested from the CBC Archives: "Legionnaires boo Pearson over flag.." "Rival flag groups gather on Parliament Hill.." "Closure ends flag debate..." "Canadians differ on flag, closure ..." Honestly, it's amazing we actually ended up with something to run up the flagpole at all; perhaps that, in itself, is worth celebrating.

Meanwhile, back on the Hill -- where, it should be noted, the flag atop the Peace Tower will be fluttering -- caucuses gather behind closed doors for their weekly confabs.

When the House resumes sitting this afternoon, the long national nightmare that is the Great Gun Registry Debate will soon be over, at least as far as the House of Commons is concerned; MPs are set for a final vote on third reading of the bill that would dismantle the database and destroy its records so no provincial -- or future federal, for that matter -- government can ever recreate it. (Unless, of course, that future government simply passes a bill to restore both the registry, and the filing requirements.) (Fine, fine, shutting up.)

In what appears to be a technically preemptive, but likely safely assured declaration of victory at the imminent -- or, at least, imminent-ish -- demise of the gun registry, Public Safety Minister Vic Toews heads to the National Press Theatre to make "a statement", which he will deliver alongside Conservative MP Candice Hoeppner, the backbencher under whose name a previous, minority-doomed attempt was put forward, and Minister of State for Small Business Maxime Bernier, for some reason. (He's from Quebec? He leans libertarian? He's a libertarian from Quebec?)

In any case, as the advisory promises a "brief question period," the minister may well find himself spending more time defending the recently introduced online surveillance scheme than patting his back -- and, of course, that of his government, and especially the prime minister -- over successfully shepherding a bill through third reading in a majority House. 

Also up for approval at second reading tonight: a passel of private members' bills, including bids to criminalize masked rioters, repeal Section 13 (online communications) from the Canadian Human Rights Act and establish a federal suicide prevention strategy.

Interestingly, the latter will be the subject of a similar pre-vote media availability this afternoon, courtesy of its sponsor, Conservative MP Harold Albrecht, who will join representatives from suicide prevention groups Your Life Counts, Collateral Damage and the Waterloo Region Suicide Prevention Council, to send "a message of hope to vulnerable Canadians."

Also out and about on the media circuit today: NDP MPs Jean Crowder and Claude Patry reveal the details of an upcoming tour to "talk to families who have been affected by the cuts at Service Canada."

Finally, on the committee front, Government Operations goes in camera for an off-the-record briefing from Treasury Board on the process for considering estimates and supply, which, I should stress is, is not, in fact ironic, but entirely understandable. As far as I can tell, as this is one of the few occasions in which no question from an honourable member can be considered too stupid to ask, but some might indeed feel inhibited by the presence of the press, although why that would be the case, I don't know. We ask stupid questions all the time. It's sort of our job.