Of all the committees on the Hill, the CHRC wound up here? Liveblogging the Subcommittee on Int'l Human Rights
By kadyomalley - Tuesday, June 16, 2009 - 18 Comments
ITQ has to admit that she’s a little bit curious as to how, exactly, officials from the Canadian Human Rights Commission wound up on the witness list at the Subcommittee on International Human Rights, which begins its study of “human rights commissions” this afternoon. It’s not that she doesn’t think it’s a worthy topic — goodness knows there’s enough confusion and controversy surrounding the issue — but doesn’t this particular committee usually stick to topics with an international focus? Human rights in China, persecution of religious minorities in Iran, the possible repatriation of Omar Khadr – you know, that kind of thing? Maybe the CHRC is just here to help MPs get their bearings on the various raisons d’etre of CHRC’s global counterparts. Nevertheless, she’ll be there for today’s meeting, which will also include an appearance by Alan Borovoy, general counsel to the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.
12:20:05 PM
Greetings, fans of chronically undercovered committee meetings chaired by the perpetually effervescent Scott “Not The Evil One. Wait, Which One Do You Consider The “Evil” One Again?” Reid! ITQ managed to make it to the Reading Room just before the macadamia cookies ran out, and can report there is a sizeable contingent of witnesses and onlookers on the scene already — from what she can overhear of the ongoing convesations, there are at least a half dozen or so representatives from the CHRC, including deputy chief commissioner David Langtry, Sebastien Sigouin and Monette Maillet; Alan Borovoy is also present and accounted for, but beyond that, I’m not entirely sure who’s who.
So far, I’m the only reporter here — although that could be due to my pathological punctuality — and a few MPs are starting to arrive, including Russ Hiebert, who was responsible for the motion that established this particular study, and the NDP’s Wayne Marston. For the Bloc, we have – or will have, according to the nameplates, Eve-Mary Thai Thi Lac, and Mario Silva and Irwin Cotler will be up for the Liberals. On the government side, we have David Sweet – who I remember quite fondly from the Khadr hearings – and – wait, is that Bob Rae? It is! I wonder whose spot he’s taking?
Anyway, w should be getting underway soon.
12:37:28 PM
And – here we go!
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So, who's going to be the first to bring up the Raitt tape? Liveblogging the Natural Resources committee
By kadyomalley - Tuesday, June 9, 2009 at 3:15 PM - 29 Comments
On the agenda this afternoon: Various medical associations, including the Canadian Association of Nuclear Medicine and the Canadian Association of Radiologists.
3:22:13 PM
Okay, first off, I have to warn you all up front that I’m going to miss the last bit of today’s hearing, because I’ve got a Very Important Date with CityTV to talk about the TotT(LRM). Which means I’ll probably have to bail on the last witness – and I apologize in advance for that – but I’m sure we’ll learn plenty about the importance of isotopes from the first set of witnesses. Who are idling around the table as we speak — at least, I *assume* those are the witnesses — trying not to look like they’ve just wandered into the eye of a political maelstrom. Do maelstroms have eyes? Anyway, you know what I mean. The members are starting to turn up as well, including Russ Hiebert, who I’ve not seen since last time I covered the Ethics committee. For some reason, he has a properly printed nameplate, but Cheryl Gallant, who is a permanent member, still has to make do with a handwritten one. Weird.3:30:12 PM
And – action! -
ITQ goes nuclear (round two): Liveblogging AECL and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission at Natural Resources
By kadyomalley - Thursday, June 4, 2009 at 3:00 PM - 7 Comments
That’s right, after spending the first part of our day watching AECL’s chief financial officer shift uncomfortably under questioning at Government Operations, once more into the breach we plunge, as the Natural Resources committee hears from the embattled nuclear agency’s president, Hugh MacDiarmid, as well as Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission chair Michael Binder. Considering how wildly laudatory the latter was towards the former during his last committee appearance, ITQ isn’t expecting much in the way of apocalyptic fingerwagging from the nuclear regulator, who definitely doesn’t seem to have any interest in becoming the new Linda Keen.
3:13:45 PM
Well, the meeting hasn’t even started, and tempers are already flaring, although in this instance, it isn’t the MPs getting cranky but the press — specifically, David Akin and your humble livebloggatrix — who arrived in the Railway Room to the sight of Commons maintenance staffers in the midst of disassembling the media tables, which produced the predictable reaction. After somewhat strained negotiation – which eventually required an intervention by gallery officials – we had our tables back; it may sound like a trifling misunderstanding, but over the last few years, we’ve learned through bitter experience that, when it comes to safeguarding access on the Hill not to cede an inch of territory without a fight.Now that peace has broken out and ITQ has staked out her spot at the table — on the left side of the room, right behind the still empty chair reserved for AECL vice-president Bill Pilkington — she can report a good turnout amongst her journalistic colleagues — including a surprise appearance by Colleague Mitchel!
3:25:33 PM
Gavel down, kids! The chair – Leon Benoit – gives the usual introductory spiel, and notes that he’d like to wrap up the witness portion of the meeting by 5:20pm so the last ten minutes can be spent on future business. -
Again with the shovels: Liveblogging Gov't Ops on the stimulus package
By kadyomalley - Thursday, June 4, 2009 at 10:30 AM - 2 Comments
From the witness list, it looks like the gang’s all here: Western Economic Diversification, Human Resources, the National Research Council, along with a very special last minute political zeitgeistalicious addition: AECL executive vice-president Michael Robins, who will likely be the main target for the opposition — now freshly armed with new numbers, courtesy of CTV. That doesn’t mean the other witnesses will necessarily get off easy, though — when it comes to a multibillion dollar stimulus package, there are usually more than enough pointed questions to go around.
10:50:34 AM
Greetings, OGGOpoggos! I’m currently standing in a hallway in West Block, where a crowd is starting to form outside the doorway to 308. As is usually the case when there are multiple departments on the witness list, there are dozens of officials here to act as support/cheering sections for their respective teams. It also gives them a chance to mix and mingle, which makes for fascinating eavesdropping fodder, although it really would be a violation of all known liveblogging principles to chronicle all that candid intrabureaucrat chatter.11:00:43 AM
Ooh, Derek Lee is in a feisty mood: He just burst in on the still disbanding and taking its sweet time to do so environment committee, and announced, to all and sundry, that their meeting was “ten minutes over”, and threatening to “gavel down”. Unfortunately, the effect is somewhat lost when, moments later, he can be heard demanding to know the whereabouts of said gavel. Just use your fist, chair. That’ll show ‘em.11:06:11 AM
“Can we get some witnesses at the table,” Lee asks, although it sounds more like an order than a request.With that, he gavels down. Game on, bureaucrats – game on!
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Hey, remember that $3 billion "slush fund" that almost triggered an election? Liveblogging Vic Toews at Govt Ops
By kadyomalley - Tuesday, May 26, 2009 at 11:00 AM - 10 Comments
Anyone else getting a creeping sense of deja vu from the description of today’s meeting? I swear I’ve liveblogged this before, although last time, it was John Baird assuring the opposition that there was no need to pester the government for details on Vote 35, or, more specifically, the $3 billion in short-order stimulicious spending goodness with which it would shower the land. I guess we’ll find out how that went, huh? And aren’t you glad we’re past the era of empty bluster and don’t-push-me-on-this-I-swear-I’ll-turn-this-Parliament-around-and-go-home brinksmanship?
Check back at noon – yes, noon, they’re spending the first hour in camera – for full liveblogging coverage.
11:41:22 AM
And still more deja vu — I’m *sure* I’ve sat disconsolately in front of this very same closed committee room door in the past, although really, when you venture into the bowels of West Block, it really *is* a series of twisty little passages, all alike. I’m not alone out here, at least — not by a long shot — although the minister has yet to make an appearance, there are a half dozen civil servants of varying degrees of visible stressedness huddled by the wall; I’m almost positive I’ve liveblogged at least a few of them during past infrastructurecentric committee meetings, but it’s so hard to associate names with faces when you get stuck sitting behind the witnesses.Anyway, there’s some rather tense and self-conscious banter going on between the members of what I assume is the designated Toews greek chorus, but I’ll spare you the details. Gotta save something for the parry and thrust of the floor debate, right?
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Shovel 'em if you got 'em
By kadyomalley - Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at 2:12 PM - 11 Comments
Check back for full coverage of Kevin Page’s very first budget progress report, which he will deliver to the Finance committee at 3:30 p.m.
3:22:12 PM
Well, this is exciting: even for the Finance committee, this is a near unprecedented media turnout for a non-ministerial appearance, which should give you some idea of what we’re expecting from the inaugural budget progress report from the parliamentary budget office.Wow, even the chair is excited — he could barely restrain his gavel hand until the clock struck half past three. We’re on. The PBO himself – who looks unflappably dapper, given his often precarious position vis a vis the object of his oversight – introduces his “panel”.
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One of our aircraft is miss— oh, never mind. There it is: Liveblogging the Russian Embassy at National Defence
By kadyomalley - Monday, March 23, 2009 at 3:15 PM - 17 Comments
Check back at 3:30 p.m. for full coverage as the Defence committee begins an opposition-initiated investigation into last month’s allegedly illicit intrusion attempt by a Russian military jet with an appearance by embassy political attache Dmitry Trofimov.
3:16:33 PM
Hey, remember this morning’s committee lookahead, during which I noted – with no small amount of anticipatory glee – that this meeting was moved to one of the big kid tables in Centre Block, which I attributed to preternatural prescience on the part of House administration?Well, turns out that not everyone was tipped off to the move, including, unfortunately, the people charged with setting up committee rooms in advance of the meeting. Which is why when reporters – including ITQ – started showing up to secure good seats, there weren’t any – seats, that is, good or otherwise. Instead, there was a stack of chairs waiting to be unloaded, as well as a half-assembled table, a box full of standing mics and a very frazzled maintenance crew doing its best to beat the clock and bring order to chaos. They’re still at it, even as the MPs – including newly elected chair Maxime Bernier – have begun to trickle down from the post-QP srums. I’m sure they’ll make it on time, but really, as I said to one of the other reporters who arrived to watch as the big top went up: “What will the Russians think of *this*?”
Oh, and there’s also a school and/or tour group on hand to watch: thirty-odd oddly intent early twentysomethings, who will, I’m sure, be dazzled by this demonstration of parliamentary insight. Provided the rest of the committee isn’t sitting around an empty room in East Block wondering why they’re the only ones there, of course.
3:31:25 PM
Trofimov. That’s the name of our Russian visitor; sadly for any of you who were hoping for a modern day Trevanian anti-hero, he looks like – well, a career civil servant, which as far as I know is exactly what he is. -
Let's put that the "no yelling" rule to the test: Liveblogging the Library of Parliament committee
By kadyomalley - Thursday, March 12, 2009 at 11:24 AM - 15 Comments
Full disclosure: the last time ITQ covered the Library committee, it was pretty much just to see if it could be done without the liveblogger lapsing into a coma, but this time, it might actually get interesting. Why? Three words: Parliamentary Budget Officer. Who won’t be there – not this time, anyway, although at least one opposition party – the Bloc Quebecois, to be specific – has a motion to launch a full investigation of the relationship between the Library and the PBO. Somehow, though, I suspect that Parliamentary Librarian William Young will be fielding a few questions on the subject during his appearance today.
11:54:47 AM
Welcome to the Library of Parliament committee, ITQ readers! Actually, to be strictly accurate, welcome to the West Block hallway outside the room where Library of Parliament committee will eventually be meeting, which is currently occupied by a shadowy subcommittee of the environmental variety, and will hopefully be vacating the premises soon, what with all of us stuck out here sweltering in our winter coats and all.There we go! We’re in!
12:01:02 PM
So the rumour – and I stress that this is just a rumour – is that the Librarian is angling to turn this meeting, which is supposed to be focused on the main estimates, into a general roundtable/disciplinary hearing on Kevin Page, rogue parliamentary budget officer.The chair – Senator Sharon Carstairs – attempted to get that underway, but was thwarted in mid-sentence by the Bloc’s Louis Plamandon, who point-of-orders out that actually, his motion should take precedence.
And – it’s on.
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Pay equity, corporate mergers and the Law of the Sea – Liveblogging the budget at the Senate finance committee
By kadyomalley - Wednesday, March 11, 2009 at 1:16 PM - 8 Comments
Seriously, this is one of the more eclectic witness lists ITQ has seen in a while – not that that’s a bad thing; I, for one, am oddly reassured by the knowledge that we have a Maritime Law Secretariat.
2:28:43 PM
Greetings from the deepest, darkest recess of Canadian parliamentary democracy, otherwise known as the Victoria Building, where the shadowy cabal of unelected, unaccountable senators that is the National Finance committee has gathered to plot dastardly deeds and — review the budget implementation bill? That doesn’t sound all that sinister at all.Anyway, the meeting is actually now underway, and Joseph Day is laying out the gameplan for the next few days — he seems very keen on bringing in more witnesses, from government officials to members of the public. Oh, and they’re planning to hold all day meetings the week after next, by the way. Whee!
2:37:31 PM
More discussion amongst committee members — Consiglio di Nino is slightly taken aback by the fact that today’s witnesses won’t be making opening statements; instead, they’re going to go straight to questions as they look at particular aspects of the bill. -
He always seemed to prefer Lester B. Pearson to Langevin
By kadyomalley - Monday, March 9, 2009 at 2:46 PM - 8 Comments
What can we say? ITQ just can’t resist the opportunity to liveblog a former prime minister even when there aren’t mysterious payments from shadowy arms-dealers-turned-pasta-lobbyists involved.3:26:15 PM
Greetings from West Block, home of the Foreign Affairs committee, and before today’s meeting gets underway, ITQ would like to send out a big Happy Commonwealth Day to all Her Majesty’s loyal subjects out there. Actually, as it turns out, so would committee chair Kevin Sorenson, who probably wasn’t nearly as oblivious as ITQ and knew what day it was before spotting the Union Jack flapping proudly from a Centre Block flagposts.Anyway, that’s enough of my rambling, because the first panel of witnesses is up – Donald McCrae, Stephen Clarkson and Carl Grenier.
3:29:04 PM
Professor Clarkson gets things started with his opening statement, which begins, frankly, on a bit of a downer: -
Because we haven't seen nearly enough of John Baird lately: Liveblogging the Government Operations committee
By kadyomalley - Thursday, March 5, 2009 at 10:29 AM - 21 Comments
Everyone’s favourite Minister of Shovel Readiness will be talking stimulus, of course – I’m guessing he probably does in his sleep at this point – and will, ITQ predicts, be facing a lot of very pointed questions about that $3 billion how-dare-you-suggest-it’s-a-slush fund.
Oh, and there’s also a vote on various odds and ends in Main Estimates – the GG, Privy Council, that sort of thing – and rumour has it that after that’s out of the way, Pat Martin will be presenting a potentially incendiary motion.
11:02:47 AM
Wow, Derek Lee is rarin’ to go — the last meeting ran long (thank goodness, since that gave me enough time to scamper from West to Centre) but he’s very anxious to get this show on the road, which explains the rapidfire tippity-tapping of the gavel before the meeting is underway. Which it is as of now, and after a very brief introduction, he hands the floor over to the minister.11:06:53 AM
Minister Baird, that is, who tells the committee that he understands that the federal government doesn’t “hold the shovel” – it’s in the hands of the provinces and municipalities – but Ottawa is nevertheless ready with truckloads of cash.11:09:42 AM
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The price of freedom is eternal vigilance. And committee meetings.
By kadyomalley - Thursday, March 5, 2009 at 7:28 AM - 13 Comments
So, how’s that balance between national security and civil liberty working out? Tune in later this morning to find out as the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security gets started with its review of the findings and recommendations of the Iacobucci and O’Connor reports.
On the witness list for today: RCMP Public Complaints Commissioner Paul Kennedy and senior officials from the somewhat shadowy but determinedly non-sinister Security Intelligence Review Committee..
8:33:39 AM
Greetings from deepest darkest West Block, where detritus from last night’s afterhours revelry – the legendary All Party Party, hosted by NDP MP and all-round good time Peter Stoffer – still litters the halls. This morning, however, it’s back to business as usual – the most serious business for this particular committee, in fact.Speaking of which, the witnesses are already starting to filter in with their respective retinues; the RCMP Public Complaints Commissioner, Paul Kennedy, is already at the table, and the nameplates are primed and ready for the other two invitees, Susan Pollak, Sylvie Roussel and Steve Bittle, the latter of which is, I believe, with SIRC, which is probably why he looked vaguely, reflexively uncomfortable as I was hovering over him, craning my neck to be sure of the spelling of his name. (Insert standard complaint about the lousy viewing angle we get at the media table, although at least we *have* a table today, so I’d best be grateful.)
Also, there are muffins! We never get those in Centre Block. Maybe it’s a turf thing.
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Don't count on him breaking out the phrase "culture of secrecy", guys – Liveblogging the Info Commissioner at Ethics
By kadyomalley - Wednesday, March 4, 2009 at 3:14 PM - 8 Comments
Really, take it from someone who was at last week’s press conference. In any case, Information Commissioner Robert Marleau is slated to appear before the Ethics committee this afternoon, so check back at 3:30 pm for full liveblogging coverage.
3:16:32 PM
Just a quick note to let you know that we may be a little bit late getting started this afternoon, since QP ran a little late — as it so often does on Wednesdays — and was followed immediately by tributes to former Speaker Gilbert Parent, who died earlier this week. The rest of us are here – media, spectators, witnesses – but the only MP in the room is Borys W., who – I predict – is going to ask about the RCMP’s track record. I’m sure the rest will start trickling in soon. -
UPDATE – The First and Possibly Last ITQ Committee Walkabout: Liveblogging Government Operations but not, as it turns out, Procedure and House Affairs
By kadyomalley - Tuesday, March 3, 2009 at 9:36 AM - 5 Comments
Yes, it’s come to this.
Unable to choose between the two definitely-maybe-livebloggable meetings scheduled for this morning, ITQ will attempt to give you the highlights from both Government Operations, which continues to investigate the federal procurement process, and Procedure and House Affairs, which will be in camera for the first portion of the meeting to work on a draft report on webcasting the House of Commons but then goes public for committee business.
I’ll be honest with y’all – I’m not sure how well this will work, so it’s distinctly possible that the plan may change in midliveblog, but that’s what makes these things interesting, right?
10:47:02 AM
I should probably *also* warn you that I’ll probably miss the very beginning of Government Ops, since I’m currently idling in the (very, very chilly) hall outside the room where Procedure and House Affairs will very soon be immersed in a top secret, closed door meeting on … webcasting the House and House committees. I always wonder why no comittees are ever bold enough to discuss draft reports in public — I bet it would be fascinating to watch the consensus – or lack thereof – unfold. Anyway, I’m going to try to get someone at *this* meeting to tell me how long they’ll likely be in camera, and then I’ll head up to Government Ops. (I just don’t want anyone out there to think ITQ is shirking her duties. She’s no shirker!)11:00:47 AM
Well, that makes life easier: one of the MPs on the committee has very kindly offered to drop me an email when they go out of camera, which I’m fairly sure is not, in fact, the correct term. Anyway, secure in the knowledge that no procedural or house business-related excitement will be going on without me, I’m now upstairs at Government Ops, where I have joined a surprisingly hearty contingent of fellow reporters at the media table. Honestly, I didn’t think there’d be more than a few of us here. Maybe this will be more exciting than I thought.
11:06:14 AM
And we’re on — the topic du jour, incidentally, is procurement policies; specifically, the effect on small and medium-sized enterprises. -
Federal Accountability Act, this is your life! – Liveblogging the Conflict of Interest and Lobbying Commissioners at Ethics
By kadyomalley - Monday, March 2, 2009 at 2:39 PM - 3 Comments
Hearken back for a moment to those idealistic days of yore when a steely-eyed leader of the opposition promised that, if elected, his government would “undertake an unprecedented overhaul of the federal government” and “introduc[e] sweeping reforms to make Ottawa accountable’. He also issued a stark warning to party supporters seeking to use politics as a “stepping stone” to a career in lobbying:
“Make no mistake. If there are MPs in the room who want to use public office for their own benefit, if there are Hill staffers who dream of making it rich trying to lobby a future Conservative government, if that’s true of any of you, you had better make different plans. Or leave.”
So, how’d all that work out? To find out, tune into ITQ’s coverage of the Ethics committee this afternoon, where Conflict of Interest Commissioner Mary Dawson and (interim) Lobbying Commissioner Karen Shepherd will deliver back to back briefings on how well those sweeping reforms made the leap from campaign rhetoric to regulatory reality.
3:13:57 PM
Hurray! After last week’s unceremonious exile to the wilds of West Block, we’re back in Centr Block this afternoon; I’m not sure if that means the scheduling gnomes at committee headquarters have an inkling that this meeting might attract more media attention or if it’s just randomized room selection, but ITQ is certainly not complaining.3:27:42 PM
While we wait for the tap of the gavel, a quick roll call. On the government side, we have Brad Trost, Russ Hiebert, Maurice Vellacott, Earl Dreeshan and Bob Dechert. Meanwhile, on Team Opposition, it’s Borys W., Michelle Simson, Eve Marie Thi Lac, Louis Plamandon and Bill Siksay.Wait, there’s Pierre Poilievre! Now it’s a party!
3:32:35 PM
Yes, it’s distinctly possible that I am way too happy to see Poilievre take a seat at the table. -
A (Chalk) River runs through it – Liveblogging AECL, CNSC and CNA at the Natural Resources committee
By kadyomalley - Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 3:09 PM - 21 Comments
Fresh from her sojourn down electoral memory lane with the Procedure and House Affairs committee, ITQ will spend the rest of the afternoon at Natural Resources, where members will plumb the depths of Chalk River – the reactor, not the body of water - with the help of senior officials from AECL, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission and the Canadian Nuclear Association.
3:20:51 PM
You know you’ve picked the right committee when there’s a camera crew staked out in the hallway. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, really — it *is* Chalk River — but apparently somebody wasn’t expecting quite as much interest; once again, the media tables are glaringly conspicuous in their utter absence, which causing considerable consternation amongst my colleagues, particularly when a staffer tries to shoo us out of *their* chairs. After some rather tense words are exchanged with the actual chair – Leon Benoit – we’re allowed to remain in the staff seats, but nobody is terribly happy about it, and Nathan Cullen brings it up once the meeting begins, and suggests that in future, they take into account the potential public interest in a particular meeting when booking committee roons. Benoit concurs, and hands the floor over to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission’s Michael Binder, who gives a brief, bright overview of his agency. -
He's like the Kevin Page of elections! Liveblogging the Chief Electoral Officer at Procedure and House Affairs
By kadyomalley - Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 10:20 AM - 27 Comments
ITQ has had this particular meeting circled on her calendar for weeks now – yes, in case y’all wondered, in red, surrounded by exclamation marks and little happy faces. Bring on the only-tangentially-related-to-the-official-order-of-business-yet-oddly-pointed questions!
10:51:48 AM
Eeee! It’s Marc Mayrand!Okay, now that I’ve gotten that out of my system, I made it to committee just in time to miss out on the last seat at the media table – damn you, Colleague McGregor and your uncharacteristic punctuality – which is why I’m now sitting in the staffer section, but on the *government* side of the room for a change.
Along with Marc Mayrand, by the way, we have various other Elections Canada luminaries, including Rennie Molnar,Stephane Perrault and Belaineh Deguefe, and there is no way on earth I’m going to be able to spell that with any consistency once the meeting starts, so let’s call him BD, shall we?
The meeting is about to get underway – Yvon Godin is, adorably, greeting the witnesses – and most of the MPs are already at the table. I see that Kelly Block is stalking me — well, or I’m stalking her – as is Guy Lauzon, but as yet, we are short one pixie dancer. Where are you, Pierre?
10:58:36 AM
With an odd sort of vaguely nervous warning to his colleagues that “we’re in public today,” Chairman Joe hands the floor over to Marc Mayrand. -
Everyone has something to hide: Liveblogging the Privacy Commissioner at the Ethics committee
By kadyomalley - Monday, February 23, 2009 at 3:02 PM - 9 Comments
ITQ POSTMEETING MICRO RECAP:
Thanks to the miracle of liveblogging technology, you can pinpoint the exact second when the penny dropped for ITQ on what was actually going on during yesterday’s Ethics meeting:
5:15:54 PM
OMG, YOU GUYS – I AM AN IDIOT. I assumed – and yes, I don’t need to hear the joke – that the [Carole] Freeman motion had something to do with Access to Information, because that’s what she moved last time the committee met, but it doesn’t – not at all. She wants the committee to pick up where it left off with Camp In and Out last summer, and she has the support of the Liberals and maybe the NDP, which is why the government members are dragging this meeting out to the bitter end — so she can’t table the motion until the next meeting.Read on for the full report.
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Just when you think you're out …
By kadyomalley - Thursday, February 12, 2009 at 5:01 PM - 5 Comments
4:09:38 PM
I know, I know – this is so unITQ-like in its non-live-bloggingness, but I’ll be honest with y’all – I wasn’t actually going to cover this afternoon’s Public Accounts meeting until I noticed that David Christopherson had a motion on the table to invite the Parliamentary Budget Officer to committee to “discuss his roles and issues related to his independence,” at which point I *obviously* couldn’t not show up, what with being a PBOWatcher and all.Anyway, right now, the committee is preoccupied with last May’s Auditor General report on First Nations child and family services, and since I came in late, I’m mostly just half (or maybe a quarter) paying attention to the discussion at the moment. Sometimes the teensiest tiny bit distracted, but when it comes to accountability, ever vigilant, that’s the ITQ motto.
4:20:07 PM
Okay, still not *really* listening, but I have to say that Christopherson really is one of the most underappreciated MPs on the Hill: He has such a blunt, no-nonsense way about him. Right now, he’s raking various Indian and Northern Affairs officials, and somehow, he does it without coming across as a self-important blowhard.Meanwhile, the government members keep wanting to go back to The Residential Schools Apology, and how it made everything better, which, when you think about it, would be a question better posed to a First Nations person than bureaucrat. And there I go again, paying attention. Confound you, Public Accounts committee, with your sneaky way of making me care about stuff before I can activate my trusty apathy shield.
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Ritzeria redux: Liveblogging the Agriculture committee
By kadyomalley - Thursday, February 12, 2009 at 10:30 AM - 5 Comments
POSTMEETING MICRORECAP: Well, as it turns out, we’re going to get that public inquiry into that listeriosis outbreak after all! Well, sort of: it’s going to be a parliamentary committee (actually, to be precise, a subcommittee, and much, much more about that later) and it will investigate food safety – past, present and future – including, but not limited to, what happened last summer.
For the full liveblog, hit the jump.
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A one-shot deal: Liveblogging the Public Safety committee's one-day study into Taser use
By kadyomalley - Thursday, February 12, 2009 at 7:30 AM - 9 Comments
POSTMEETING ITQ MICRORECAP: Well, RCMP Commissioner William Elliott did his best to persuade members of the Public Safety committee that his organization has taken at least some of its recommendations on Taser use to heart, but he didn’t make much headway in assuaging the concerns of opposition members. Government members, in contrast, were more than satisfied by the response from the RCMP, and were more interested in hearing about all the lives that have been saved by judicious use of the device. Oh, and yes, since his last appearance, Elliott has, in fact, been Tasered: It “hurt like hell, and then it stopped.”
Read the full report after the jump.
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Guess which office doesn't have an independent investigative function! – Liveblogging the Acting Director of Public Prosecutions at the Justice committee
By kadyomalley - Wednesday, February 11, 2009 at 3:16 PM - 2 Comments
POSTMEETING ITQ MICRORECAP: During today’s meeting, we learned all about the Public Prosecution Service and its not-actually-all-that-new acting director, Brian Saunders. We also learned that the opposition parties were, at least initially, the teensiest bit sceptical over the independence of his office, since he reports to the Attorney General, and there were many, many questions about exactly how much contact the current director has had with the current (and former) ministers since his appointment, and whether or not either minister had advised him on any specific cases. Finally, we were somewhat surprised when NDP justice critic Joe Comartin gave notice that he would not be voting in favour of a motion recommending that the appointment be confirmed, particularly when he declined to explain why he was withholding his support. After the motion passed, the chair kicked the rest of us out so the committee could discuss future business in camera, and that was that.
For the realtime liveblog of today’s meeting, read on.
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Canada? Still back. Omar Khadr? He'll get back to you: Liveblogging Lawrence Cannon at Foreign Affairs
By kadyomalley - Tuesday, February 10, 2009 at 2:36 PM - 19 Comments
Okay, so I know I promised I’d atone for missing the committee debut of Environment and Sustainable Development Commissioner this morning – although really, I’d suggest that sitting through that Finance committee, not to mention Government Ops was more than penance enough for any liveblogger – but I realized that I should probably at least try to cover as many ministerial appearances as possible without chopping myself into infinite berrywielding bits, Sorcerer’s Apprentice-style.
As a result, I will be heading over to West Block to watch Lawrence Cannon in all his practically-deputy-prime-ministerial glory, where I suspect he will be answering many, many questions about Omar Khadr. (And now you know why, out of all the ministers up for grabs this afternoon, I settled on him.)
3:17:45 PM
Wow, looks like I got here just in time as far as getting a seat – the spectator section is pretty much full, and there are only two chairs reserved for the media, of which I am currently occupying one.I think these supplementary estimates hearings are probably a bigger deal for departmental officials than for the ministers, really; that’s why there are so many tensely scrunched faces in the audience today.
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So, what's it like to see your signature on a five dollar bill? – Liveblogging Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney at the Finance Committee
By kadyomalley - Tuesday, February 10, 2009 at 7:53 AM - 27 Comments
After much, much, much internal — and eventually external — debate (seriously, y’all, I’ve been wracking my brain over this one since 5am), ITQ was finally forced to admit that, despite the fact that she really wants to hear what Environment and Sustainable Development Commissioner Scott Vaughan has to say about the report he released last week, what with the current Global Economic Unpleasantness, it would be dereliction of her committee liveblogging duties not to cover the appearance of Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney. Plus, Vaughan is also scheduled to be at Public Accounts this afternoon, which she was already planning on covering. In any case, check back at 9am for full coverage of the Finance committee!
8:45:42 AM
Well, to nobody’s surprise, my fellow reporters are swarming this meeting – there are at least a dozen of us here, and a few cameras crews staking out the doorway for the all-important Important Man Wearing a Coat and Striding Purposefully Forward shot. Not that anyone seems to be expecting much in the way of, you know, *news* out of today’s appearance — the consensus amongst the finance reporters seems to be that we’re not going to hear anything new, although a small but vocal minority thinks he’ll address the latest numbers to come out of the US, and Obama’s most recent comments.
8:50:19 AM
And there he is! The Governor of the Bank of Canada, that is, who is currently doing a quick pre-meeting lap of the table, shaking hands and looking entirely non-panic-stricken, which should totally nudge the dollar up a few points, right? -
So, about that $40 billion stimulus package …: Liveblogging the Parliamentary Budget Officer at the Finance Committee
By kadyomalley - Thursday, February 5, 2009 at 8:25 AM - 11 Comments
Join ITQ as embattled parliamentary budget officer Kevin Page makes his first post-budget appearance before the Finance committee – which, if the linked story is accurate, could turn out to be a memorable one.
9:03:19 AM
Yikes. Not sure what just happened there, but I seem to have wiped out my first few updates, which is an unfortunate start to what could be one of the more important meetings that ITQ will liveblog this week. I’ll spare you the details, but rest assured that there is some serious frowning being directed towards WordPress.
Anyway, hi everyone! Welcome to the Finance committee meeting already in progress; Kevin Page – the parliamentary budget officer – is in the midst of delivering his opening statement to members, and it’s – well, I won’t say bleak, but he definitely seems to have a slightly less rosy view of the government’s fiscal fortunes.9:07:46 AM
More numbers, more analysis – I’m not going to transcribe this word for word, since I’m pretty sure I’d mangle at least some of the numbers, thereby unintentionally crashing the market and doing even more damage to the Canadian economy. Besides, I think the report he’s reading is available online, so I can link to that afterwards.9:11:25 AM
It’s important for parliamentarians to debate the benefits of the economic stimulus plan, Page stresses, which provokes vigourous nodding from Thomas Mulcair.9:13:53 AM
And – questions! Starting with John McCallum, who thanks Page for all the support he’s provided to Parliament, and goes straight to the accountability issue – is the infrastructure money likely to get out as quickly as the budget suggests, he wonders – and how will that be monitored?That depends, Page explains – his office uses best practices, and there are other ways to put in place a “robust framework” for accountability, but it will require cooperation from the government, as well as the efforts of parliamentarians.
9:18:08 AM
