It's official: Hansard records arrival of zombie politics on Parliament Hill

OTTAWA - Zombies on Parliament Hill have long been the bane of those who watch Canadian politics.

Now, in a case of life imitating art, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird is assuring the House of Commons that Canada remains a zombie-free zone.

The odd exchange came during today's daily question period when NDP MP Pat Martin asked a tongue-in-cheek question about Quebec emergency preparedness plans premised on a zombie movie scenario.

What, asked the Winnipeg MP, was Ottawa doing to prevent an international zombie apocalypse?

Baird rose to the occasion with an equally glib response, telling the House that he was "dead-icated" to ensuring Canada never becomes a safe haven for zombies.

But he couldn't resist resurrecting an undead Conservative talking point: the NDP's fictional carbon tax, which a smiling Baird said would raise the cost of zombie-related emergency provisions for all Canadians.