Very much illustrates that the leaders, all the leaders, set the tone in QP with their questions as well as their answers.

The MP is tasked with knowing what the majority of their constituents wants, and if they vote against them they can expect to be canned in the next election. How in the world would the national party know any better than an individual MP on what their constituents want? I think that's a thousand times worse than the 'problems' you identify with allowing MPs to vote independently.

As a Nortel pensioner, I have spent many hours in the Finance and Industry Committee meetings over the past two years, as well as sat in the Member's Gallery as legislation related to revising our archaic bankruptcy laws has been tabled and squashed. Partisan politics and lobbying by big financial institutions have blocked every initiative by the Opposition parties to see that Justice-in-Bankruptcy prevails and that the assets of the bankrupt companies payout pension and disability underfunding before the foreign junk bond holders get their money. Too many people who comment on the Nortel situation are ill-informed about the impact on pensioners and the disabled under these circumstances. While the Opposition Parties are willing to help, in most cases, except for 13 Conservative MPs who have been voting with their conscience, our Government is leaving us high and dry. What they don't seem to realize is that many of the 20,000 people affected will end up using federal and provincial drug benefits and support systems to the tune of nearly $500million of taxpayer funded programs which would be unnecessary if the bankruptcy laws were changed with retroactivity.

Most developed countries protect pensions and disabled benefits in a bankruptcy. Our governing party listens to the big banks and lobbyists like John Manley and Don Boudria rather than support those people who worked hard, paid taxes, and put deferred wages into a pension fund. It was not our fault that Directors like Manley, who had responsibility for our pensions while he was a Director of Nortel, sat by and watched the value erode.

I also support MP Michael Chong in his efforts to bring back civility to the House. His Bill is in Committee now but he suffered the barbs of his own party colleagues when he presented this Bill. Let's hope sanity will start to prevail in the House.

The only "at their throats" hooligans are sitting on the Conservative benches and judging by their chief dog John Baird, they need some prozac or we Canadians need an antidote for their bites!

The cons are a disgrace and I don't care if you vote for Greens, NDP or Libs or Bloc. They have deteriorated our democratic discourse to the level of a U.S. backwater redneck rage…shame on them.

In the past 5 years we have witnessed a despicable deterioration of Democratic pinciples with an alarming LACK OF CIVILITY in Parliament.

The level of vitriol is unprecedented and unless we get rid of the current bunch of arrogant, biting Bullies and firstly muzzle the childish dangerous foaming-at-the-mouth John Baird, we see no improvement.

A Coalition is long overdue to restore dignity to this poor land and its most disgraced insitution (currently). Time's over. The world is rebellling against Dictators. '

Our Hill must be liberated from the Cavemen in charge. They're a disgusting blemish on the footnotes of our country's history.

Trudea, Pearson, Dief, Douglas, Lewis….must be turning in their grves to see the disaster on our Parliament….

I wish politicians would remember that from time to time.

What a ludicrous law.

It is and has been for some time, only about power, getting it and keeping it and, once you have a majority, doing what you like with it. This is a politics of personalities won by PR. In such a system, what happens in the House of Commons is irrelevant, cause nobody is watching.

Offloading? Responsibilities of federal & provincial governments are very clear. Things aren't being offloaded to the provinces, the federal gov't is stepping OUT of things they should never have been involved in. Provinces are responsible for delivering healthcare, not the feds. Same with education (daycare). Monetary policies are federal, although provinces have the right to set commerical laws/policies, which is why some provinces are against a national securities commission.

I was lucky, they called everyone into the House for some votes on bills, so I got to see all 308 MP's check they bakcberries, read the paper and chat with each other. I even heard a few desktop slammed in impatience for the speaker to get things underway.

I had never thought about the fact that PM Harper rarely 'speaks' in the house – not including his silly out-of-context QP one-liners. He never speaks in an unguarded or unrehearsed manner … anywhere. Watson would be more cogent on policy – and without the 'human' nastiness.

I definitely watch 'the debates' if someone of Joe Comartin's ability is speaking because I learn something about criteria to consider for good public policy. Often the Bloc MPs raise important ideas as well. Have I forgotten anyone? Doubt it.

I was shocked to find out how much time is wasted by the government prepping for QP. Do they even understand their responsibilities to Canadians?

It would be nice to have more thoughtful journalists presenting insightful ideas like this. And much less P&P, "Power Play" and "Question Period".

Let us leap into the 21st century where the common man can speak for himself instead of through proxy; forums like this one where debate is alive and well.

She signed off on approval of funding for KAIROS, as did other important people. Then she got a call from Langevin Block with orders to reverse that decision NOW. So she did. We don't know exactly who made this clumsy forgery (and that is what it is). Maybe it was Oda, maybe one of her minions.

But we do know this… she lied about it in the beginning, she lied about it again, and she keeps piling lies upon lies. And this is OK for Harper because if he throws limousine Oda under the bus, she just might tell all – that the order came from the man himself. So Oda still has her job.

That, my friend, is pure contempt of parliament.

Although it is not true that all conservatives are stupid people, it is true that most stupid people are conservative.
-John Stuart Mill

We're replacing Parliamentarians with casual-help that's there for their own self-serving reasons. To hell with Public Service. The men and few women in our Parliament are losing Canada's Vision. The last 5 years have witnessed a deterioration and manipulation of democracy so that it's become unrecognizable. Shameful….but just try to remember, when you get nostalgic about REAL democracy….

STEVE MUBARAK rules!