If you thought that the NDP’s sudden demand that the government refer the satellite offices case to the Supreme Court to rule on its justiciability immediately wasn’t a sign of desperation, the fact that those MPs being ordered to repay are now suing the Board of Internal Economy in Federal Court is even more so. Can one even sue a parliamentary board that one is a part of? In fact, it smacks of the kind of desperate tactic where you throw absolutely everything at the wall, no matter how implausible, and hope that something sticks. The suit demands that the $2.7 million in demanded repayments be set aside, calling the decision “unreasonable, arbitrary and incorrect.” Except it wasn’t the Board that made the findings – it was the Clerk of the Commons, and she has the paperwork to prove that the NDP misled her when they set up the scheme in the first place. It’s also curious that the NDP would go for this kind of process when discovery is going to be very difficult for them as they have to turn over all manner of documents as part of the process. Still, with time running out before their MPs start having their salaries garnisheed, I have to wonder how many more tactics we’ll see employed to try and delay things, at least until the election and then beyond.

Good reads:

• The Conservatives are linking gun ownership to rural safety, which is not only trying to rile up their base, but has also offers some serious legal misinformation.
• Here’s a look at how the Conservatives had trouble fundraising in the Fort McMurray by-election and had to transfer funds from other riding associations.
• Changes to how political candidates can get loans – only from banks and credit unions – is having an effect on campaigning, particularly for independents.
• The Conservatives still don’t have a timeline for a new defence procurement strategy four years after declaring their previous one unaffordable.
• Looking at our current aid contributions to Iraq, we are reminded of how we failed to do the job in Afghanistan if we don’t want to repeat our mistakes.
• The Parole Board no longer has the resources to clear their pardons backlog after the government changed the eligibility rules and hiked the costs.
• The number of temporary foreign workers returning home because of changes to the programme could have a devastating effect on Alberta’s agriculture and meat packing industries.

Odds and ends:

The government intends to close the Chalk River experimental reactor in 2018, which could cripple any future nuclear research in this country.

The government announced a cross-border customs deal…that hasn’t been tabled either in Parliament or the US Congress, let alone ratified. Does this count as distraction sauce?

Here’s a reminder about that Federal Court ruling on the niqab ban, and how it was about ministerial powers and not the Charter.