Roundup: What to do about Dean?

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The question of what to do about Dean Del Mastro has seized the Commons, and the government seems amenable to going along with the NDP motion to suspend him without pay immediately, and further send the matter to the Procedure and House Affairs committee for further study, particularly for what it means for his staff and his constituents. This is a bit of a change from the government’s original position of wanting the committee to rule before they did, but apparently they’re going with the flow of public opinion on the matter. (The NDP’s unwillingness to let debate collapse so that the vote can proceed on its own accord, however, means that the government will likely invoke closure to ensure a vote later today). There is also a battle raging over Del Mastro’s pension benefits, while the NDP used a committee hearing on John Williamson’s private member’s bill to try to lay a trap. The bill would see MPs lose their pension if convicted of an indictable offence, and the NDP moved an amendment to specifically include elections expenses, which the government defeated because it wasn’t necessary, and wouldn’t apply to the Del Mastro case anyway – not that it stopped Mulcair and the NDP of using Question Period to say the government was trying to protect Mulcair. Because apparently they’re not yet too clever for their own good.

As we get word that our CF-18s hit heavy equipment that ISIS was using to try and divert the Euphrates River – a major deal – the Parliamentary Budget Officer is already trying to calculate the costs of the mission at the behest of the Liberal and NDP defence critics. Because a week into the actual mission isn’t premature or anything… (And seriously, guys – stop making him do all of your homework for you). There is also talk about training not only Iraqi military forces, but also police and their version of a national guard, which could take between six months and a year.

The government announced that they will restore healthcare for most (but not all) refugee claimants for the time being, while they launch an appeal of the Federal Court of Appeal decision to the Supreme Court.

The Senate received another flawed version of a bill from the Commons, this time because amendments didn’t properly renumber clauses, and when another bill changed aspects of the same Act in the interim, those clause numbers again got out of whack, but the Commons failed to notice this before they sent if off to the Senate, where they operate on the assumption that the Commons sends over correct bills. (Crazy, I know). Senators are taking the night to think over their remedy for this, but really – maybe someone on the Commons side needs to keep better track of the legislation they’re amending before they introduce other amendments in other bills.

The Senate did pass the prostitution bill yesterday, despite last-minute attempts to get amendments made to it. As soon as the Governor General grants it Royal Assent, we can start the countdown clock until it gets challenged in the courts – and struck down – again.

Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz suggested at Finance Committee that rather than be overly discouraged, young workers who can’t find a job at least volunteer or take unpaid internships while they still live with their parents so that they can at least get some experience on their CVs in the meantime. Thus set off a firestorm among the commentariat, though when you read his statement in full, it’s actually fairly reasonable and not simply praising unpaid internships as he has been accused of.

The Federal Court of Appeal has upheld a ruling that said that CSIS hid the fact that they were relying on foreign allies to spy on Canadians abroad, which seems to be one of the items that the government is hoping to “clarify” with it amendment to the CSIS Act, currently being debated in the Commons.

So that Croatian vanity publisher that’s been publishing Health Canada’s science documents? They say they’re doing mostly a good job and working to improve. Well, in that case…

What’s that? There are even more delays on the Shared Service Canada integrated email rollout? You don’t say!

The government is giving the green light to Wind Mobile’s founder’s plan to buy out his majority Dutch shareholders.

Two Canadian companies were approached by Chinese businesses shortly after the cyber-attack on the National Research Council’s computer systems, raising questions as to whether there is a connection.

The NDP are set to announce that former Ontario NDP leader Howard Hampton is going to be their advisor on developing the Ring of Fire region in Ontario. It’s one more attempt at their trying to do groundwork for the possibility that they form government after the next election.

The Liberals are asking questions about that badly photoshopped image of the Canadarm2, while the Canadian Space Agency said it was just created for an internal poster, and not meant for public consumption. A likely story…

And words of wisdom from Pamela Wallin in Vine form.