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Harper’s 18 Senate appointments include Mike Duffy, Pamela Wallin and Nancy Greene

But first, a few words from – yes, again – Peter Van Loan: 

ITQ will be on the Hill for today’s “Rally for Canada” – not liveblogging, most likely, because it’s freaking cold out there, and I’m not risking frostbitten berrythumbs for anything less than another trip to Rideau Hall, but I’ll report back when I can. See if you can find me in the crowd via the HillCam!

By popular demand – at least, if anyone is demanding it. This may be the last committee meeting ever, so enjoy the antics while you can!

I won’t be leaving town during the allegedly slow season in a hurry again, that’s for sure. As suggested by one of my fellow committee junkies in the comments, here’s a placeholdery post for all you folks lucky enough to be able to tune into ParlVu when the Canadian Heritage committee convenes this afternoon from 1-3pm to discuss holding hearings into those cuts to arts and culture funding. Unfortunately, I won’t even be able to do that, so I’ll rely on y’all to fill me in when I get back – and yes, in case you wondered, it’s absolutely killing me that I can’t be there to liveblog it.

A few quick notes before heading off to the Hill for the first day of the Ethics committee investigation into the Conservative election advertising expense scandal: