Hey everyone – Parliament is back today! Yes, I’m quite giddy with excitement. The Conservatives are gearing up to attack the NDP quite aggressively. Thomas Mulcair, incidentally, wants Harper to get the Conservatives to stop lying about his supposed “carbon tax” plan.

The CNOOC-Nexen deal is exposing some fault-lines in the Conservative party, going right up to the cabinet level, between those who recognise the need for better trade deals, and those anti-communists suspicious of the Chinese regime.

Some Conservative MPs are dealing with the fallout out budget cuts in their ridings, and hoping to change a few minds in cabinet.

Foreign Affairs paid $2 million for a ten-week study of the security of our embassies, which seems a bit prescient given what’s going on in the Middle East right now.

The NDP plan to meet with Bourdeau industries, who are advocating a return of the Avro Arrow programme.

Peter Kent is talking about changes to the Species at Risk Act – but it likely won’t be in this autumn’s promised omnibus budget bill.

The NDP believe that Newfoundland is “fertile ground” for them to expand in.

Oh look – more sniping amongst Liberals about who shouldn’t be allowed to run for the leadership (mostly people not-naming-names about Martha Hall Findlay).

And in case you missed it, I recapped the Sunday politics shows for Macleans.ca. In fact, I’ll be recapping the political shows six days a week for them from now on.