Events, my dear. Events.

The Conservatives’ fall narrative is going to be focused primarily on a) the economy, b) tough on crime and c) using the military as political backdrops. Not that we haven’t seen this particular playbook before. But what’s the bane of this kind of narrative-building? Events, my dear. Events. Not that their various and sundry boneheaded moves (such as the census issue) helped them control the message over the summer either…

To prove the point about the law-and-order agenda, the RCMP are already making links between human trafficking (the current favourite Conservative hot topic) and the sex trade.

Immigration Minister Jason Kenney says that all the government needs to do to stop migrant ships from landing on our shores is to invoke the notwithstanding clause of the Charter! Because they can’t milk this moral panic quite enough, apparently.

Bread and circuses aside, Harper is apparently downplaying the expectations of funding that arena in Quebec City – or is he? His statement could conversely be read that he’s open to funding arenas around the country.

What’s that? The American National Rifle Association is sticking its fingers into our long-gun registry debate? You don’t say! Also, Harper used to support the registry? Does that mean that Candice Hoeppner will have to target his riding with attack ads too?

In the National Post, Scott Brison writes about trade and human rights in Colombia – his legacy as trade critic now that he’s moved on to finance critic. What’s notable about the piece is the way in which Brison describes visiting a project where former combatants were being reintegrated with Colombian society – something that trade between countries can help foster with legitimate economic growth.

NDP MP Malcolm Allen has now changed his gun registry vote to keeping it intact (no doubt with changes down the road). He says it was the Conservatives’ tactics that made him change his mind in the end. This puts the vote count at 151-151 with just one NDP MP still unaccounted for. And if it’s a tie? Precedent suggests that the Speaker votes for the status quo. But it’s only a suggestion.

Conservative Michael Chong continues his quest to reform Question Period to make it more civil and meaningful. But considering how much his own party has to answer for when it comes to debasing it, shouldn’t he be looking a little closer to home, so that they can at least set a good example?

Bloc MP Francine Lalonde has said that she will not run again because her bone cancer has returned.

And Her Excellency is over in Mexico City for that country’s independence celebrations. While there, one of the places she will visit is a Canadian-funded La Casa de la Sal to speak with young people living with AIDS.