committee lookahead

Or, “What’s that, canary? You have a bad feeling about going back down the mineshaft?”

A roundup of what’s on the agenda

What with one thing and the other – the election, the fiscal update, the near total meltdown of parliamentary democracy  – committees are only now getting their collective mitts on the supplementary estimates for 2008-2009, which means that much – but not all – of the first few weeks of committee business will be taken up by the first round of obligatory ministerial appearances.

Monday, May 12, 2008

Justice is on the agenda this morning, but don’t get too excited — it’s not at the Justice committee (which set a new record for brevity yesterday afternoon, clocking in at just over seven minutes) but Official Languages, which is looking into the issue of access, with the help of Commissioner Graham Fraser and University of Moncton law professor Michel Doucet.

The Auditor General hits the committee circuit this morning as well, appearing before Public Accounts to discuss her most recent report, although ITQ predicts that opposition members will also be watching for an opportunity to get her to elaborate on comments she made before the same committee last week on an attempt by PCO to force her office to turn over its communications plans.

Meanwhile, over at Industry, it’s Irresistable Force Meets Immoveable Object Day, starring Canada’s patent and generic drug companies. Bring popcorn – name-brand, or private-label, it all tastes the same to ITQ.

Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon will be on hand to discuss his department’s main estimates, and can comfort himself with the knowledge that at least here, he won’t be facing a barrage of in and out-related questions along the lines of ‘What did you know and when did you know it?’ – at least, not ones that he’ll actually have to answer, which, of course, he’s managed to avoid doing thus far, even when said questions are posed by reporters outside the House, or opposition members inside.

Finally, remember the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs committee that made for such lively liveblogging yesterday? The one that made mincemeat of poor Peter Van Loan over his Prime Minister’s stubborn refusal to appoint new senators? The bill that would force him – the Prime Minister, that is – to do so within 180 days of a vacancy goes to clause-by-clause consideration this morning; as it only has two clauses, that shouldn’t take long, but regardless, ITQ will be on hand to record the deliberations. We love deliberations.