Question Period in the Canadian Parliament was back into full swing today, for the time since the government was prorogued for months by Prime Minister Stephen Harper to avoid questions on the Afghan detainee scandal.

The Liberals attacked first, with questions about what the government knew and when they knew it, with regard to the torture of Afhgan prisoners after they were transferred to Afghan intelligence agents.  Liberal leader Michael Ignatief, specifically asked for the release of uncensored documents which contain information pertaining to the scandal.  The Prime Minister repeated the same stance that the government has consistently taken on the issue of government documents, that being they have given over all the documents that they are legally entitled to.  As for questions about when members of the government knew of the torture allegations, Mr. Harper deflected repeated questions about his government's role, by making the counter accusation that such questions are an assault on the troops.

NDP leader Jack Layton criticized the government for proroguing Parliament when the Prime Minister said that they needed time to recalibrate because of the economy.  The problem being that the speech from the throne had been regurgitated from the government's previous agenda.  When asked if Mr. Harper would work with the opposition to prevent any future government from proroguing Parliament for arbitrary reasons, the Prime Minister simply said that it has been used for 140 years and that there is no reason to change the rules.

Other attacks came from various back benchers from the opposition about the Conservatives continued push for criminal laws, incorporating a defunct American system of mandatory minimum sentences and a huge increase in the prison system, as well as its accompanying private sector. 

UPDATE: Budget "Sorta" Live Blog.

(4:44 PM - Watch a short clip explaining the budget below:



(4:42 PM) - Read the entire budget at your leisure here.

(4:30 PM) - The real problem with the budget is that it projects huge gains in the economy from the private sector to slash the deficit by $40 billion and cuts to government programs by $17.6 billion over 6 years, with a projected 2014-15 budget with a $1.8 billion deficit.  This years budget forecasts relatively no job growth over the next year and freezes government salaries at 2011 levels at the height of stimulus spending.  The odds makers are doubtful that the government can reach it's budgetary goal of being deficit free in the time frame allotted.  Also, Liberal leader, Michael Ignatief, said that the Liberals would be voting for the budget because they feel that Canadians don't want an election right now. 

(4:15 PM) - Well the media blanket on the budget has dropped so that details have emerged already, so now there's no real point to a live blog heh.  Anyway, I'll be uploading a video explaining the budget shortly, but I'll give you a taste of what is being cut.  The deficit is enemy number one in this budget, however the Prime Minister has already declared several areas out of bounds such as education and health-care.  The biggest cut comes from the administration budgets of government offices which will be cut by $6.8 billion, a large cut of $2.4 billion from the military, large cuts from the environmental budget, and large cuts for international aid.

Jack Layton, leader of the NDP, has gone on record saying that his party will be voting against the budget, leaving it up to the Liberals to either bring down the government or support it.

(4:05 PM) - Prime Minister Harper and Finance Minster Jim Flaherty, walked down the steps from the hallway where PM's office is located, carrying the new budget out onto the floor of the House, preparing to present it to the Commons.