Ok. Ok. We've had 15 cm of snow in Ottawa and at least that if not more is on the way.
So that may be the excuse for the enthusiasm I hold, as do many Canadians I'm certain, for the Standing Committees of the House of Commons. You can imagine how excited I was to learn that committees will soon hold their inaugural meetings for the 2nd session of the 40th Parliament. The grandly titled Standing Committee of the House of Commons on Foreign Affairs and International Development kicks things off with a meeting on Feb. 2 (why, that's just next week! – ed.) at 3:30 pm.
Indeed, the NDP, at least, is chomping at the bit to get the Natural Resources Committee going so it can grill witnesses from AECL, CNSC and NRCAN Minister Lisa Raitt about Chalk River. It looks, though, like the CNSC, at least, is stepping up to play some public relations in the wake of what Brother Greg has been reporting.
Personally, given what I cover for Canwest and Global National, I'm looking forward to seeing how the Finance Committee shapes up with James Rajotte as chair (should he be elected, of course!) and Garth Turner absent. This committee meets on Tuesday next week. The Libs on that committee I suspect will be the same gang: John McCallum, Massimo Pacetti, and John MacKay with Martha Hall Findlay pitching in as an associate member. I would be bet that the lone NDP member on that committee is Thomas Mulcair. The BQ will send in Jean-Yves Laforest and someone else.
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