Johanne Deschamps

Those accusations of election fraud? A mere administrative matter.

The Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance held a reception at the Westin Hotel in Ottawa. Below, Public Safety Minister Vic Toews and Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance Executive Director Ruth Salmon.

Our weekly, and wholly arbitrary, ranking of the ten most worthy, or at least entertaining, MPs, excluding the Prime Minister, cabinet members and party leaders. A celebration of all that is great and ridiculous about the House of Commons. Last week’s rankings appear in parentheses.

1. Maxime Bernier (3)
He’s made a mystery of himself, which must count for something.
2. Michael Chong (1)
3. Ralph Goodale (4)
Once every five or six weeks, the Liberals come up with a decently damning question—pointed, specific, demonstrating an ability to listen to and comprehend the words that are coming out of the government’s various mouths. Mr. Goodale’s queries on Thursday were as good as they’ve had since Mr. Ignatieff dinged the Prime Minister last month. 
4. Jack Harris (2)
5. Scott Brison (6)
The fight to co-opt Rob Ford’s particular brand of magic has begun.
6. Carolyn Bennett (5)
7. Candice Hoeppner (7)
8. Ken Dryden (10)
Has anyone who picked a fight with the press gallery ever lost? Is there a less sympathetic object of ridicule?
9. Mark Holland (9)
10. Pierre Paquette, Bob Rae, Jean Dorion, Wayne Marston, Johanne Deschamps (tie) (-)
The five MPs willing this week to ask about Omar Khadr.

Previous rankings:

The government having previously said that its maternal health initiative had nothing to do with capital punishment nor gay marriage, that it did not want to reopen the debate on abortion, but that it was not closing the door on any possibilities, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for International Cooperation did stand in his place this afternoon and announce that “Canada’s contribution will not include funding abortion.”

Glen Pearson has pleasant conversations with MPs from other parties. And such as it is this is considered noteworthy.

Speaker Peter Milliken held a special reception for the group Buy-A-Net. This Kingston, Ont.-based organization raises money to purchase insecticide-treated bed nets and anti-malaria medicine for Ugandan villages.

The Scene. To everyone’s infinite credit, Question Period passed today without a single reference to a bathroom, toilet, loo or water closet. There were two snide references to the Prime Minister’s ability to keep his photo op appointments, but given the bad puns that might have been employed, our Parliamentarians are otherwise probably to be congratulated for their restraint.