Michael Sona’s trial in the case of the misleading robocalls gets underway in Guelph, Ontario, today, Sona has long maintained that there is no real evidence against him other than some questionable testimony that would have occurred at a time when he was out of the country. That said, it is hoped that with other players on the stand that this trial may be the only hope for getting the real story of what happened in Guelph out there. Sona could face five years in jail and a fine of up to $5000 if found guilty.

Former Prime Minister Paul Martin is angry about the First Nations Education bill being put on hold, saying that he’s not surprised that the First Nations don’t have faith in the government when they are saying that it’s their way or the highway. Martin also says that it doesn’t have to mean making 600 separate agreements, but even just dealing with the different regions would be better, not unlike dealing with the provinces. It’s also a reminder that if the Conservatives hadn’t scrapped the Kelowna Accord when they came into power, that we likely wouldn’t be in this mess now. That said, I also don’t know how any government could accept the AFN’s demands of turning over the $1.9 billion now and applying a 4.5 percent escalator until a final agreement is negotiated, given that it would have no framework or accountability mechanism, and yes, that is an actual issue.

The NDP say they were taken aback by the Speaker’s comments that they didn’t communicate with his office about their mailings into ridings about to have by-elections, and now they are trying to produce a paper trail about their attempts to “clarify the rules” to show that their decision to send addressed mail not charged to members’ offices was indeed okay. They also say that Mulcair won’t be back before committee even if invited, which the Conservatives say they’ll try to explore other options to compel him to testify, but I’m not sure how effective that will be.

Despite agreeing to an order from the Information Commissioner to include a “decline to identify” option for people filing Access to Information requests, it still hasn’t happened because, as the government says, it’s taking longer than expected to align the online and the paper process. Okay, then. Meanwhile, they continue to collect data on who requesters are.

Health Canada finds itself inundated with applications by businesses looking to get in on the medical marijuana opportunity, and they are struggling with their limited resources to process all of them, while at the same time waiting on those court injunctions in BC and elsewhere that allow current patients who grow their own to continue to do so for their personal needs. But it again points to poor planning by the government when they decided to move to this system without ensure that there would be proper resources in place to ensure a smooth transition.

Transport Canada’s decision to grant a weight exemption to Bell Helicopters so that they could win a procurement contract for the Canadian Coast Guard has put TC at odds with their counterparts in the US and Europe, who are not thrilled that the regulatory change was not made with any consultation.

Our crippled supply ship HMCS Protecteur is now back at CFB Esquimalt, where it is likely it will never sail under its own power again.

Douglas Quan gets a look at RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson’s appointments calendar to get some insight into just who he meets with and how often.

Andrew Leach and Luiza Ch. Savage put Barak Obama’s forthcoming climate change regulation announcement into context.

Outgoing Senator Romeo Dallaire talks about the various ways in which he has repaid thousands of dollars in accidental expenses over the years, and that the Senate has reimbursed him thousands of dollars over mistakes in Senate allowances, because everyone sometimes makes mistakes and it doesn’t mean it’s wrongdoing. Also, the ongoing expenses audit has nothing to do with his decision to leave.

Former PMO Director of Communications Andrew MacDougall writes about the issues of journalistic access from his former vantage point, and while he says that things won’t change (apparently they can’t argue with the success at the ballot box), he does urge his successors to actually talk to reporters by phone rather simply emailing us two-line talking points, as it cedes too much of the message needlessly. You think?

Andrew Coyne looks at the latest Conservative fundraising letter that accuses the CBC of trying to “strong-arm” the government – no, seriously – and points out that the government has had eight years to do something about the CBC, but they would rather treat it like a scapegoat, just like everything else in Ottawa that they fundraise on the backs of.

And a roofer working on the West Block renovations is tweeting photos from his unique vantage point, and it’s pretty cool.