The House is back after a six-week break,
and true to form, every media outlet is warning about how raucous it’s going
to be – never mind that we say that every time the House comes back after a
break, but so be it. Now that the Conservatives are getting comfortable in
their “strong, stable” majority, people wonder if they’ll actually start acting
like conservatives and hold to their promises of leaner budgets and so on. But
considering the assessment that “there is nothing progressive or conservative
about that party,” that may in fact be a hope made in vain.
The Ottawa
Citizen did some data journalism about just how much each of the NDP
leadership candidates has contributed – or hasn’t – to the party since 2004.
The Mulcair figures were disputed over at iPolitics (possible paywall). The Citizen then followed up and pointed out that party rules state that MPs have to donate the full amount to the national
party – and that five MPs have failed to do so.
Gilles Duceppe is getting a lawyer to fight accusations that he misused public funds, as new party leader Daniel Paillé
continues to put distance between himself and Duceppe’s activities.
There are questions as to who in the
international community is going to continue to help pay for the Afghan army
post-2014, given the debt crises and fiscal austerity out there. Because
nothing says that the mission was worth our time and money for the past
decade-plus when we let things lapse and fall apart in our absence.
And the Parti Québécois wants to allow
citizens to hold referenda on anything they like with a mere 15 percent of the
population requesting one – including on the issue of separation. Yeah, because
that can only end well.
Up today – the return of question period, debates on the private member's bill that would make it an offence to prevent
someone from flying a flag, and a bill on pooled registered pension plans.
