Privacy Commissioner Daniel Therrien may not have made the final invite list, but there will be no shortage of critical voices around the table as the House public safety committee begins hearing expert testimony on the government's proposed anti-terror bill.

The witness list for today:

Morning session (8:45-10:45 a..m. ET)

  • British Columbia Civil Liberties Association counsel Carmen Cheung
  • Greenpeace Canada executive director Joanna Kerr and energy campaign head Keith Stewart
  • Former Security Information Review Committee (SIRC) chair Ron Atkey
  • Assembly of First Nations National Chief Perry Bellegarde
  • International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group lawyer Paul Champ
  • University of Calgary political science professor Barry Cooper

Evening session (6:30-8:30 p.m. ET)

  • National Airlines Council of Canada executive director Marc-Andre O'Rourke
  • University of Ottawa professor Craig Forcese and University of Toronto professor Kent Roach
  • National Council of Muslims executive director Ihsaan Gardee
  • Amnesty International Canada secretary general Alex Neve
  • Carleton University professor Elliot Tepper

Elsewhere on the committee front:

  • British Columbia Civil Liberties Association policy director Michael Vonn joins representatives from the Canadian Bankers Association, OpenMedia.ca and the Retail Council of Canada as Industry continues its review of the government's proposed changes to the digital privacy regime.
  • Over at Environment, provincial wildlife and conservation federations from across Canada provide their perspectives on hunting and trapping in Canada
  • Finance hears from the Bank of Canada, Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters and other industry and advocacy groups as it resumes consideration of the effect of plunging oil prices on the Canadian economy, while Human Resources "explores the potential of social finance in Canada" with expert testimony from the Canadian Union of Public Employees, the National Union of Pubic and General Employees and several literacy and skills development centres.
  • Although neither relevant minister is slated to be in attendance, both Citizenship and Immigration and Government Operations peruse the latest batch of supplementary estimates, with senior officials from all relevant departments expected to be at the table to field questions from MPs.
  • Finally, Procedure and House Affairs goes behind closed doors to discuss its ongoing review of House conflict of interest code.

Meanwhile, back in the Chamber, MPs are set to spend the day debating the pros and cons of the government's proposal to demonstrate "zero tolerance for barbaric cultural practices" by tightening immigration and legal restrictions on polygamous marriages, as well as those involving involuntary participants, as well as those under the age of 16.

Also on the Hill today:

  • New Democrat MP Claude Gravelle hits the stage at the Centre Block press theatre to unveil his party's proposal to develop a national strategy to support individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related conditions.
  • Later this morning, House transport committee members will outline a new report on the transportation of dangerous goods and safety management systems, which is set to be tabled in the Commons Chamber this morning.
  • NDP transport critic Hoang Mai is slated to hold a separate press conference to share his thoughts on the committee's conclusions.
  • Meanwhile, the Parliamentary Budget Office will post its findings on the role of temporary foreign workers within the Canadian economy — and, more specifically, in "low-skilled occupations."

Outside the precinct, Prime Minister Stephen Harper heads to Saskatoon, where he'll join Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall for a photo op at a highway repair depot before making his way to Prairieland Park for a "moderated question and answer session" at the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities Annual Convention.

Mobile readers: Follow the Parliament Hill ticker here.

For up to the minute dispatches from the precinct and beyond, keep your eye on the Parliament Hill Ticker: