It was only a matter of time until a second investigation was opened into the Bernier affair. The Prime Minister has already stated that the Department of Foreign Affairs will be internally investigating the matter, but as I’ve learned through a source on the Hill, there’s basically no one left at Foreign Affairs that can realistically undertake it in a timely fashion.

The House of Commons Committee that will be looking into the affair will begin proceedings next Tuesday and will conduct hearings for four days, agreeing to continue even if the House breaks for the summer.

From the CBC…

“Opposition MPs on the public safety committee, led by the Bloc Québécois, out-voted the Conservative minority on Monday to expedite an investigation into the political storm involving Bernier and ex-girlfriend Julie Couillard, who had ties to criminal biker gang members.

The move came after Harper dismissed calls for an independent inquiry or an RCMP investigation on Monday in the House.

The committee probe will begin next Tuesday.”

Now that’s leadership for you. A breach in national security occurs and the Prime Minister dismisses calls for the RCMP to investigate the matter. Even more, suggestions that an independent inquiry be held were also summarily dismissed.

Transparency? Accountability? I vaguely remember Mr. Harper using those words infinitum some time ago.

Not surprisingly, coverage by Canadian Conservative pundits on the web has been extremely limited.

So the Department of Foreign Affairs is investigating itself. One wonders who at the Department of Foreign Affairs is actually undertaking that investigation being that, since Bernier’s resignation, the entire senior staff has been dismissed, including Bernier’s chief of staff, and the remaining staff is skeletal at best.

An intern perhaps?

Also of interest is that during a recent TVA interview, Couillard claimed that she was approached to be a Conservative candidate, something that has been rather overlooked by the mainstream media.