OotD - It's the final (omnibudget) countdown! (At committee, that is.)

With the deadline to report their conclusions on the omnibudget bill back to Finance fast approaching, several committees -- Fisheries and Oceans, Citizenship and Immigration and Transport -- are still working on their respective responses -- including any proposed amendments related to the section to which they were assigned -- which must be filed, in both official languages, by 5pm today.

As for Finance itself, members will while away the hours before tonight's deadline by holding one more round of pre-budget consultations before beginning what could be a very, very long night of clause-by-clause review, which will likely get underway tomorrow afternoon.

Meanwhile, as Government Operations members go through the fine print in the latest round of supplementary estimates, Treasury Board President Tony Clement will be conspicuously absent from the witness table, due to what his office insists was a simple scheduling conflict that prevented him from accepting the committee's invitation to appear.

Given that this is the very same committee that devoted much of the fall sitting to studying ways to improve the estimates review process to ensure proper parliamentary oversight, only to have its recommendations politely, but firmly, rebuffed by the government, the minister's non-appearance today has left opposition members somewhat nonplussed.

Clement's office, however, points out that several senior officials from Treasury Board will be on hand to take questions.

As the committee is currently considering the government's distinctly unenthusiastic reaction to its initial findings, the minister's failure to make himself available to MPs may well find its way into a follow-up report to the House.

Over at Justice, New Democrat MP Randall Garrison will get the chance to present his private members' bill to add gender identity and expression to the Canadian Human Rights Act, which will also hear from several expert witnesses, including psychotherapist and "trans activist" Hershel Russell, UBC music professor Sara David Buechner and representatives from Egale Canada.

Back in the Chamber, the government's latest legislative attempt to increase transparency and accountability for First Nations governments is up for report stage consideration. Later this evening, members will have one more hour to debate New Democrat MP Dany Morin's bid to create a special committee on bullying before it goes to a final vote on Wednesday. (Unlike private members' bills, motions are not referred to committee.)

Speaking of votes, the food safety bill is expected to get third reading approval tonight, a development that will almost certainly be heralded by Agriculture Minister Garry Ritz when he hits the Foyer to deliver a statement this afternoon.

Also running the gallery media gauntlet today: Liberal MP Kirsty Duncan, who will share her thoughts on Senator Jane Cordy's bid to establish a national strategy for CCSVI, which is currently before the Senate social affairs committee, and representatives from Canada's Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies host a technical briefing with "senior industry leaders," who will discuss "newly released reports on the industry's commitment to life sciences research," as well as its "overall contribution to the economy."

Outside the precinct, Interim Liberal Leader Bob Rae talks energy and municipal infrastructure at the annual general meeting of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, and Environment Minister Peter Kent and Minister of State for Tourism Maxime Bernier take the stage at the Canadian Tourism Awards Gala.

In Toronto, Government House Leader Peter Van Loan takes part in a event "highlighting the national historic significance of the Grey Cup" at the University of Toronto Varsity Centre.

Finally, Liberal leadership candidate Justin Trudeau pays a visit to Alberta, where he'll drop by the party's Calgary Centre headquarters, join local hopeful Harvey Locke to meet with students at Mount Royal University, and eventually depart for Edmonton, where he's scheduled to meet supporters at a rally this evening.