NDP MP – and chair of the Public Accounts Committee – David Christopherson, has launched a broadside at Liberal MP Gerry Byrne because Byrne raised the alarm that the Conservatives were trying to shut down the inquiry into the Auditor General’s report on the F-35 procurement, and because Byrne raised a question to Christopherson in QP – like he has a right to. And so Christopherson went out to the media and called Byrne a “dishonourable crybaby,” accused him of making personal attacks (ie – the question in QP), and said that Byrne was complaining the rules weren’t fair. You know, the way that Christopherson – while sitting as chair of the committee – launched into one of his trademark tirades about how unfair the rules he was supposed to enforce were when the whole inquiry was getting started. Seriously. But given that Christopherson is apparently so thin-skinned that he can’t accept a question in QP without taking it personally and then running out to the Foyer to the media, perhaps the crybaby may be a little closer to home. Just a thought.

Meanwhile, over at the Finance committee, there are accusations of McCarthy-esque witch-hunts abounding after Conservative MP Randy Hoback went after United Steel Workers economist Erin Weir for once running for the NDP. But wait – Peggy Nash’s own questioning of Vivian Krause went into pretty much the same kind of behaviour.

Thomas Mulcair has had his tour of the Alberta oilsands, and he says they’re impressive but should be developed sustainably, and that the high dollar is hurting all exports. So no real change then, and still no real prescription, since “internalising the environmental costs” would affect the manufacturing sector as well if it were applied equally to them.

Public Works minister Rona Ambrose is apparently so tired of the problems with military procurement practices in this country that she’s promising to reform the system. Great. Probably should have been done years ago. But it would probably have helped if the people in charge of the various departments had done their jobs and due diligence in the first place, as with the ministers in charge, and they all actually followed the advice of Auditor Generals past like they were supposed to.

The Information Commissioner is warning that involuntary budget cuts to her department means that the progress that has been made on improving Access to Information within the bureaucracy will be undone.

Nova Scotia is facing a labour shortage and is in dire need of new immigrants, but the federal immigration department is playing hardball on getting the province to change their rules, which the federal government has been increasingly tightening.

The CP Rail back-to-work legislation passed the Senate yesterday afternoon, got royal assent, and the trains should start running later today.

If you’re curious, here are some RCMP statistics on grow-ops in this country.

The Canada Day line-up for Parliament Hill has been posted, and it includes Jully Black, Feist, and Simple Plan.

And here’s a lovely look at the Château Laurier, the “third Chamber” of parliament.