Inside Politics

Orders of the Day - Pack your bags, omnibudget bill -- you're heading to committee(s)!

Barring a last-minute procedural skirmish on the floor of the House of Commons, the parliamentary clock will run out on second reading debate of the omnibudget bill later today, although the vote to send it to committee won't be called until Monday.

Outside Parliament, a group of local doctors will "assemble on the Hill" to lodge their collective objection to changes to the Interim Federal Health Program.

Meanwhile, the PM is off to the east coast, where he's slated to make an announcement at the Universite de Moncton. Also in attendance at today's event: ACOA Minister Bernard Valcourt and New Brunswick Premier David Alward, as well as several provincial cabinet ministers.

Also in New Brunswick today: Minister of State Maxime Bernier, who will talk tourism with his provincial and territorial counterparts in Saint John.

Elsewhere on the ministerial circuit today:

  • Associate Defence Minister Julian Fantino heads to Trenton to "welcome the arrival" of what the advisory specifically notes will be the "17th and final aircraft" in Canada's fleet of Hercules, which, presumably, is meant to underline Fantino's insistence that not every defence procurement initiative overseen by his government has gone off the rails
  • Finance Minister Jim Flaherty will look on with approval as Minister of State for Sport Bal Gosal delivers an update on the 2015 Pan American Games at Corus Quay in Toronto
  • International Trade Minister Ed Fast convenes a roundtable to expound on the benefits of a Canada-European Union free trade in Vancouver

Finally, Interim Liberal Leader Bob Rae is in Manitoba, where he will meet with provincial party leader Jon Gerrard, MKO Grand Chief David Harper and the St. Theresa Point band council. 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. 

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Tags: blackberry jungle, orders of the day