The first Question Period in the House of Commons got underway today with a moment of silence to remember the victims of Dawson College.
Shortly after, Opposition Leader Bill Graham led off with a related question: Why would the Conservatives want to eliminate the gun registry? “How will weakening the registry benefit all Canadians?” Graham asked.
Prime Minister Harper said the registry was not effective. “Today's laws did not affect us.”
Harper told the House that he has asked the RCMP to present his government with some suggestions on how best to prevent “an unstable individual as [Gill] from getting hold of firearms.”
Some other notes:
Number of cabinet ministers absent from Question Period; 2 (MacKay and Flaherty)
Number of Liberal leadership candidates in the House: 2 of a possible 6 (Brison and Ignatieff present)
Number of former prime ministers present for QP: 0
Note: The Liberals have slightly rearranged their seating plan. Michael Ignatieff is no longer on the back bench. He's moved up one row and is now in the fourth row with Liberal Ken Dryden to his right and Bloc MP Gaudet to his left.
In fact, all leadership candidates are down by the Bloc.
Volpe is in the front row. Behind him is Dion, behind him is Brison, behind him is Ignatieff. Fry sits next to Dion and Dryden is next to Iggy.