The totally unexpected is becoming something of a new normal in the Middle East and North Africa. Who would have imagined a Libyan strongman everyone thought was so solidly in place would crumble in days.

As the dominos fall through that region, the loss of life, though regrettable, has been minimal by comparisons to what could have been. In Libya, however, a dictator who has been called insane by former colleagues who have abandoned him is hunkered down with a few thousand mercenaries and loyal soldiers for a fight to the death.

On Question Period this Sunday, we got a first glimpse into the way the Canadian government response is changing on the Libyan crisis. Opposition critics are complaining that the government's efforts to get Canadians out of the country were inadequate and incompetent.

Indeed, for the first few days the hundreds of Canadians who got out of Libya pretty much did so on their own. Commercial aircraft booked by the Department of Foreign Affairs were either unable or unwilling to fly into the Libyan capital on rescue missions.

This weekend, however, the Defence Department sent in a giant C-17 aircraft without landing permission of any kind and pulled Canadians and some foreigners out of the crucible. Defence Minister Peter MacKay revealed that another C-17 has been sent along with two Hercules aircraft, on standby for more emergency airlifts if needed.

When the House comes back on Monday can there be any doubt that the Liberals will be asking this question: Why was this not a military operation from the start instead of the Foreign Affairs department taking the lead?

Out on the West Coast Saturday night the Liberal Party in British Columbia chose former deputy premier Christy Clark as its new leader and premier. The success of the relationship between retiring Premier Gordon Campbell and Prime Minister Stephen Harper has been worthwhile for the province. Ottawa, under Harper, but under Paul Martin before that, has poured billions into developing B.C. as Canada's launch-pad to the Pacific -- think China and India.

Unlike Campbell, however, premier-elect Clark has close ties to the federal Liberal party. On the show this week, Globe and Mail columnist Justine Hunter wondered aloud whether Clark and Harper will make things happen the way they did under B.C.'s soon-to-be former leader. We'll have to wait and see.

So what government in the Middle East will feel the ground shaking under it this coming week? Whichever it is we will be reporting it every Sunday on QP.