Liberal Leader Stephane Dion introduced his party's three newest members Monday, including former Ontario premier Bob Rae, as Parliament resumed in Ottawa.
Rae, Martha Hall Findlay and Joyce Murray were all escorted to their new seats in the House of Commons.
"I think our rookies had a great first day, I think the Liberal party's had a great day today," Liberal Strategist Susan Smith told Â鶹´«Ã½net on Monday.
Rob Clarke, who won the March 17 byelection in the northern Saskatchewan riding of Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River, is the new member for the Conservatives.
The Liberals pressed the Tories Monday on their immigration policy and on Finance Minister Jim Flaherty's ongoing feud with Ontario.
For weeks, Flaherty has used the public domain to speak out about his desire to see Ontario lower corporate taxes to give a break to the province's ailing manufacturing sector and help steady the effects of an economic slow down south of the border.
"When will this finance minister stop damaging Ontario's economy with his petty grudges?" Findlay asked.
Flaherty, who insisted Monday that his attacks were not personal, once served as Ontario's finance minister under the province's previous Conservative government.
Later, with less than 10 minutes remaining in question period, Rae finally rose to speak.
"Mr. Speaker, you will have to forgive me. I am trying to remember how to do this, but I wanted to ask the minister of Foreign Affairs a question,'' said Rae, who last sat as a federal MP for the NDP back in 1981.
"I am sure that much like me, he spent the last couple of weeks studying the Remote Sensing Space Systems Act,'' said Rae, "and he will know that under that act, he has very specific responsibilities with respect to our radar technology ...''
Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier eventually answered Rae saying that the sale of Canada's Radarsat 2 satellite to a U.S. arms-maker fell under the Industry Department's authority.
Coderre demoted
Meanwhile, Liberal MP Denis Coderre has been demoted from his position as defence critic in a move seen as a bid by Dion to restore discipline in his party's caucus.
Coderre is being shuffled to the position of heritage critic, a portfolio with a lower profile. He has been replaced by Bryon Wilfert, an early first supporter of Dion's bid for the party leadership and someone seen as loyal to the leader.
Coderre denied private whispers Monday that he's angry.
"When the leader asks you to take more responsibility on another file, you say that's okay and that's what I've done," he told reporters Monday.
The outspoken Coderre was a key supporter of Michael Ignatieff's bid for the leadership of the Liberal party, a contest eventually won by Dion.
Dion's leadership ability has come under fire in recent weeks, with many within the party looking to Ignatieff.
CTV's Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife said the Dion camp has even contemplated dropping Ignatieff from his position as deputy leader and demoting him to immigration critic.
Fife said Monday that Dion was trying to take control of his caucus, believing he's being undermined by people like Coderre and Ignatieff.
Still, Dion insisted Monday that the change for Coderre wasn't because of leadership politics.
"All this is speculation that has nothing to do with reality," said Dion.
Rae, appearing on CTV's Mike Duffy Live Monday, also said he didn't see the move as "any kind of a demotion."
"He's taking responsibility for heritage and for Francophone affairs at a critical time in our position with respect to Quebec," said Rae.
Leslie Swartman, Dion's communications director, told CTV on Monday that Office of the Leader of the Opposition "categorically denies" that the change should be interpreted as a demotion.
Rae remains in his position as foreign affairs critic, which he held despite not having been elected, and Hall Findlay becomes associate finance critic.
Gerard Kennedy, another unsuccessful leadership candidate, is the new critic for intergovernmental affairs. He has not yet run for election. He hopes to be elected in Toronto's Parkdale-High Park riding, currently held by the NDP's Peggy Nash.
