As noted in Orders of the Day, I'll be liveblogging today's command performance by members of the Public Safety committee, who have been summoned to Centre Block to decide whether or not to hold hearings into airport security, although it's still not clear whether they'll actually get around to hearing from witnesses today -- or, indeed, who would be on the putative witness list -- and whatever happened to that G20 security study? Honestly, sometimes it seems like MPs have the collective attention span of a jar full of june bugs. 

As teasered in yesterday's OotD, the Public Safety committee is back in session this morning to discuss a government-backed motion to open an investigation into airport security -- specifically, as yet officially unconfirmed reports that veiled passengers are permitted to board without going through a final ID check at the gate. 

Michael Ignatieff has lost his top Quebec adviser and Jean Charest is getting an old ally back.

Jean-Marc Fournier has announced he will run in the riding of Saint-Laurent to succeed his former Quebec cabinet colleague Jacques Dupuis -- who's doing what Fournier did less than two years ago: retire from Quebec politics.

Earlier this summer, I sat down with Jean-Marc Fournier on a patio in downtown Sherbrooke, in Quebec's Eastern Townships. The former provincial cabinet minister under Jean Charest was in town to meet with a group of federal Liberals. Fournier told me that he saw this kind of visit to local riding associations as part of his new job -- principal secretary to Ignatieff.

From colleague Hannah Thibedeau:

Former prime minister Jean Chretien was discharged from the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal this afternoon after undergoing brain surgery on Friday. He underwent successful emergency surgery to treat a subdural hematoma -- a collection of blood between the skull and the brain. 

A mere three days later, doctors gave Chretien the green light to go home and he was out of there like a bullet. In fact, the former PM was dressed and ready to leave even before the doctors signed the release papers. 

On his way out of the hospital, Chretien stopped at the nursing station to express his appreciation. His aid Bruce Hartley says Chretien told them, "A-1 service! Thank-you."

Then he was off to return to his home in Shawinigan, Que.

That's right, as promised/threatened in Orders of the Day, I'll be spending the next few hours as a passenger on the Liberal Express as it heads off to Pembroke for a corn roast and whatever other local activities are in the offing. We'll be leaving from Parliament Hill at 3:30 -- after a 3:30 pm pre-boarding scrum with the leader -- and I'll be liveblogging (and tweeting) from the road, so check back for updates! 

The deadline for projects to be completed under the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund is March 31st.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper is slated to make an announcement at the Vancouver Aquarium accompanied by B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell and newly minted Transport Minister Chuck Strahl.

Kady will be aboard the Liberal Express and liveblogging all the way, so I'll be providing PM-at-the-aquarium-related coverage after the jump. Check back at 3:45 p.m. ET for updates.

In an hour or so, the Liberal Express bus will leave Ottawa and head up to Pembroke for a corn roast.

Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff must be saying a small prayer hoping he isn't going to see a repeat of what happened on his first Ottawa departure.

That day, the heavens opened with a drenching downpour and the bus broke down shortly after it had left. But the sun is out in Ottawa today and the bus is at the ready.