Pack your bags, Ministers MacKay and Kent -- you're coming to Committee of the Whole!

Every year, the opposition gets the chance to bypass the usual committee review and send the main estimates for two departments to Committee of the Whole, which is ... well, basically, the House of Commons, only with the Mace tucked under the Table and the Deputy Speaker -- in this case, NDP MP Denise Savoie -- in charge. 

Over the course of two sessions -- which are typically, but not automatically, held on consecutive nights -- the relevant ministers will present themselves in the Chamber, and proceed to spend the next four hours fielding queries on their respective departments' main estimate requests for the next fiscal year.  

The format is more like a committee meeting than a regular House sitting: 10 minutes allowed for statements, and 15 minute slots for MPs. Given the broad scope of subject at hand, members are generally given considerable leeway to question the ministers on a wide range of issues -- subject, of course, to the decision of the chair. Given the reluctance amongst many current cabinet minister to submit themselves to committee for more than an hour at a time, this could get interesting. 

In any case, the Standing Orders require that these particular debates must take place by May 31 -- so stay tuned for for more information. It really is the most wonderful time of the year.