THIS IS DRAMA? — Groundhog Day vibes permeate the House of Commons.
Conservatives are about to consume chamber business with the seventh day of debate on a privilege motion that has thwarted most other business. No end is yet in sight to the standoff between an Official Opposition bent on procedural body blows and a government that won't force an end to the marathon. iPolitics procedural whiz KADY O'MALLEY played out the tape, even musing about the Liberals running out of steam before debate collapses on the CPC motion. Yes, she mentioned the p-word. — Front-row seat: Playbook sat in the press gallery all day. Despite it being a high-stakes moment in parliamentary life, we observed mostly tedium. Monday started with Liberal MP KEVIN LAMOUREUX in his seat, a lone government voice fighting successive Tories standing one after another to extend debate. Nobody speaks more in the House than Lamoureux, the parliamentary secretary to the government House leader who has never found a debate he couldn't join. (Lamoureux once talked through the secret to his success with Maclean's.) At 11 a.m. he was just getting started. So were the Tories. — Anatomy of a halt: The Tory motion demands that the government disclose documents related to a scandal at Sustainable Development Technology Canada. It's a matter of privilege because Conservatives allege that without access to the unredacted documents, they can't do their jobs. Privilege motions are a procedural bludgeon. They take priority over most House business. Question Period still happens, as do S.O. 31 statements. There are still deferred votes. Adjournment debates conclude the day. But the CPC motion has filled almost every other second of each sitting. These are the exhaustive rules. → Fun fact: The prime minister and Official Opposition leader can each speak to the motion for an unlimited amount of time. Just in case PIERRE POILIEVRE wants to generate some headlines. → Unintended benefit: An all-day privilege debate offers a great opportunity for a journalist to get work done. The House chamber is a very large, typically very quiet room. Most of the chairs go unfilled. No distractions, basically. — A flurry of activity: Until, that is, just before QP when the House morphs into a high-octane political arena. Monday's served up standard fare, including a spat between Poilievre and Foreign Minister MÉLANIE JOLY, followed by quibbling points of order. MPs unanimously endorsed a committee report calling for a robust disability benefit. They stood in silence to commemorate the anniversary of Hamas' attack on Israel. Deputy Leader MELISSA LANTSMAN formally complained about a Hill security guard's apparent refusal to allow access to a citizen who didn't support a Palestinian state. (The incident was caught on tape.) — Powering down: Before long, the House emptied of most MPs. Alongside a smattering of New Democrats, Lamoureux remained, gamely challenging Tory logic. After 5 p.m., he left for a period of time. He was absent for just a few minutes before leaving for good at the end of the day's allotted period for the privilege debate. — How long can this go: Days yet. Liberals could eventually force an end to the debate via closure if they find a dance partner elsewhere in the House. But the stalemate resumes today. → Committees: Meanwhile, the spacious chamber isn't the only game in town. The privilege debate takes confidence motions off the table, and frees up MPs to get other work done around the parliamentary precinct. Thirteen standing committees met Monday. Fourteen are set to meet today. | 
