Live blog: Question Period returns

2:29 p.m. It's quite the scene here in the House with the swearing-in of four new MPs.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper attended the swearing-in of his new MP, Rob Clarke, just before Question Period began. Then he escorted him into the Commons, to applause all around.

But the marquee show was the display of the three new Liberal MPs. Bob Rae's friends, supporters and family have jammed the galleries. Rae's mother is here, as is the legendary cabinet minister of the Trudeau era, Allan MacEachen.

Rae also stole the show when he embraced and kissed Michael Ignatieff as he was taking his front-row spot.

Martha Hall-Findlay, meanwhile, was radiating such joy after her four-year long bid to get here that one almost needed sunglasses to view the beaming expression on her face.

All the new folks are going to get questions today. It's supposedly Hall-Findlay up first.

2:40 p.m. Well, there it is, the first shot at Bob Rae - from Jim Flaherty. Rae is clutching his chest, pretending to be offended.

2:43 p.m. And there's Martha-Hall Findlay on her feet, asking about the government's attacks on Ontario. The Conservative backbenchers who sit just below the press gallery are trying to drown her out, but she got two questions out.

2:46 p.m. One of the members of our bureau has noted how strange it seems today, given events of three years ago, to see Belinda Stronach sitting back in the second row and Hall-Findlay in front.

2:51 p.m. Joyce Murray, the Vancouver Quadra MP, has asked her debut question - on the Cadman affair. And James Moore, the Conservatives' designated hitter on this issue, replied with a classy and gracious welcome, and a nod of praise toward the former MP, Stephen Owen. You don't see that kind of good behaviour very often. Rae has not been up yet - soon, supposedly, and he'll be asking about Cadman.

2:58 p.m. Rae's finally up. He's talking on foreign affairs, not Cadman. His question is short and succinct - about the sale of a Canadian satellite company to the U.S.

3:06 p.m. The Conservatives have clearly loaded up on old quotes from Rae, in his NDP days, criticizing Liberals, to throw out in Question Period. I imagine they have lots more for the campaign trail. But what's getting confusing in the House now is the various battles of Ontario and the tangle of characters. There's the old Harris Tories against Rae, there's the current Tories against McGuinty, whose brother is an Ottawa MP, David McGuinty. All told, about two decades full of old feuds and rivalries from Queen's Park being played out by proxy in Parliament.

Comments

[agitpropre]

"All told, about two decades full of old feuds and rivalries from Queen's Park being played out by proxy in Parliament."

Not to mention a former Bob Rae policy wonk (Chris Charlton) and cabinet minister (Dave Christopherson) to remind Bob of where he came from...

[bob ward]

Interesting....the media thought the arrival of new Liberal members as the "marquee show" and the arrival of the new Conservative MP who dethroned a Liberal riding.... as well, nothing much. I wonder why??

Also, watching CPAC after QP, a lot of MPs congratulated Ray (you could see it on camera). I wonder how many Liberal MPs congratulated the new Conservative MP??

My bet, two or three who felt obligated but not "entitled."

[Blues]

Bob Ward, hold back the tears. You can always go over to the National Post or any of the other Papers owned by Canwest Global if the Toronto Star bothers you so.