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At first, it seemed like little more than a quixotic campaign by the New Democrats to test the new government’s commitment to parliamentary transparency.

But as of Tuesday morning, it looked like it might just keep the doors of a key House committee from being slammed shut on the public and press without a very good reason.

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A quick recap for those who missed the opening moves of this procedural chess match: Last month, veteran NDP MP David Christopherson served notice that he would be bringing forward a proposal to impose strict limits on when a committee can decide to hold its proceedings in secret — or, going in camera, as the parliamentary argot puts it — and, further, ensure that any votes taken during such sessions would be recorded in the minutes.

Read the full text of that proposed motion here.

In any case, due to scheduling conflicts this was the first day he’d had the chance to put his motion on the table — and he was clearly revving up for a full-bore, old school filibuster if it appeared — as, frankly, those of us watching the sidelines fully expected — that it was doomed for defeat.