Several cabinet members go before the committees that oversee their departments to discuss budgets and financial estimates: Industry Minister Tony Clement, Natural Resources Minister Christian Paradis, Transport Minister John Baird, Defence Minister Peter MacKay, Veterans Affairs Minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Indian Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl, and Public Safety Minister Vic Toews. House Speaker Peter Milliken, meanwhile, appears at the procedure and house affairs committee to outline the House of Commons budget. 

New Democrat MP Jack Harris rose in the House of Commons this morning and put forward the following motion, in conjunction with the Bloc Québécois, on the government's production of documents relating to the treatment of Afghan detainees:

"That the House considers the government's failure to provide the documents specified in the Order of December 10, 2009, is tantamount to contempt, and therefore orders the Minister of National Defence, the Attorney General and the Minister of Foreign Affairs to be called to the Bar of the House immediately and hear the Speaker read this order to them;

That it be an instruction to the Special Committee on Canada's Mission in Afghanistan to adopt rules and procedures for the reception and handling of the documents demanded by the House Order of December 10, 2009, in a manner that safeguards national security and other confidentiality requirements while respecting parliamentary privilege; after receiving advice from the Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel,

That the Special Committee report these rules and procedures to the House no later than 21 calendar days following the adoption of this order, provided that if the House is not sitting when the report of the Committee is completed, the report may be deposited with the Clerk of the House and it shall thereupon be deemed to have been presented to the House; provided that no later than 6:00 PM on the 20th calendar day following the adoption of this order, any proceedings before the Special Committee shall be interrupted, if required for the purpose of this order, and in turn every question necessary for the disposal of the report shall be put forthwith and successively without further debate or amendment; and
 
That, on the 30th calendar day following the adoption of this order, if the government has not provided all the documents to the Special Committee, which shall receive them on behalf of the House, in their original and uncensored form, at the next sitting of the House, the first order of business shall be the consideration of a motion, "That the Minister of National Defence, the Attorney General and the Minister of Foreign Affairs be found in contempt of the House" and that such a motion shall have priority over all other business until it is decided, in the same fashion as a motion relating to a question of privilege."