Kill The Senate?

NDP Pat Martin's plan to kill the senate:

“We may not be able to abolish the Senate by constitutional amendment, but we can cut off its blood supply,” he told The Globe.

(...)

“We might not be able to get rid of it,” the veteran Winnipeg MP said, “but we don’t have to fund it.”(link)

First off, I'm glad someone from the NDP has finally admitted that abolishing the senate through constitutional reform is a fraud policy doomed to fail.

Admitting that a constitutional amendment is no-go was a tactical mistake by the honorable MP that he may learn to regret.

Secondly, this isn't that bad of an idea for the Tories. So long as the senate refuses to pass reform legislation we can say "fine, we'll cut the taps off."

I can just see the howls of righteous indignation from the Right Honorable (And Unaccountable) Richard Neufeld.

What will the likes of Mr Neufel do? Appeal to the Canadian people?

What will he say?

"The Tories are forcing us into poverty through their hurtful cutbacks to our $100K+ salaries..."

Somehow I think the argument won't get much traction.

The Senate Nuclear Option

Harper's Aussie meanderings are spooking some back home:

"Reform means reform. We would like the senators are elected and have fixed terms. We believe we are on track. But the comments of the Prime Minister in his speech in Australia always reflect his thoughts, "said a government source said yesterday in La Presse.

In that speech, Mr. Harper said: "Australia's Senate shows how a reformed upper house can function in our parliamentary system. And Canadians understand that our Senate, as it is today, must change or, as the old upper houses of our provinces, vanish. "(link)

To be fair Harper has not said he would consider abolishing the senate. Neither did Jason Kenney when he recently insinuated that the government would consider more "dramatic" options should the senate reform bill fail in the Senate.

One very real option is to pull a Mulroney: appoint more Senators. Tip the balance of power - but make sure that these guys Harper appoints stick by their word this time. That gives Harper the majority in the Senate he needs to reform it.

Yet Harper used the word "vanish" without much explanation. He would no doubt know the implications back home. This leads me to conclude that Harper intended to cause a splash.

He knows there is no appetite for the type of constitutional reform abolishing the senate would require. Yet every opposition party in parliament supports the notion of "abolishing" the senate. Including some provincial governments.

What I think this really is, is a concerted strategy by Harper to call the opposition's bluff. If they really believe in Senate abolition - we'll give it to them.

This puts the opposition in an awkward position. I don't believe for a moment that the Progressive left in this country actually believed in abolishing the senate so much as opposing the government's senate reform plans. The Canadian Senate has been a boon to the Canadian Left for decades acting as a nice socialist-second-thought to our Elected Accountable House of Commons.

With the Tories calling their bluff, and Senator's seeing that the PM is willing to call it quits with trying to fix the senate, the only option left for those opposed to having an elected accountable senate is to accept reform or face oblivion.

Quebec Liberals Back Off on Senate... Sort Of...

"We do agree that the Senate should be reformed, but we do not agree on the way the speech [from the throne] proposes it will be done," Moreau told guest host Alison Crawford.(link)

Ok.

So is it elected Senators that the people of Quebec choose that you disagree with? Do you prefer unelected unaccountable bagmen of Prime Minister's past representing you instead?

Or is it Senate term limits that you disagree with? I can understand how putting limits on a politician's power would seem crazy nutbar radical for a Provincial Government intent on preventing parents from actually daring to teach their children their own values.

Please sir do clarify.

Because I want to be clear on just what you are opposing so, that come the next Provincial election in Quebec, the people will be able to exercise the accountability that you may (or may not) object to being present in our beloved Chamber of Sober (Although Not Always) Second Thought.

Desperate Last Gasp of the Socialist Senate

McGuilty, Dexter, and Quebec Liberals agree. Don't reform the Senate. Abolish it.

Balloney.

I don't believe these knuckleheads for a nanosecond - no wait - not a picosecond!

Canadian socialists, oh hell let's call them what they want to be called - elitist snobby neo-urban "Progressives" - love an unelected, unaccountable, unequal senate.

It's served them well. Being a home for the privileged few experts that can manage all things from the top down is a theme not unknown to Socialists everywhere - especially well mannered Jack Layton.

The senate was the only real opposition to Stephen Harper since 2006. The rest of the political left being too afraid to offend voters, actually grow a pair and fight for what they actually believe in.

The Senate is a Progressive's dream legislative body. Filled with former bureaucrats, former social elites, former/current criminals, former media personalities, and artists how could it get better for the Canadian left?

Jack Layton isn't change. Neither was Iggy Puff. They are the status quo. Canadian Progressives have been in charge in Canada for decades, controling the judiciary, most bureaucracies, and proliferate among most of the upper echelons of Canadian society.

That's what it's really about for Progressives - fear of change.

In order to avoid charges of being elitist they turn to calling for the Senate's abolition to mask their hidden agenda. The truth is Senate reform is the only practical way of fixing the senate. Abolishing it would require Constitutional reform - good luck with that! Progressives know this, which is why Senate abolition is such a good fall back for them. They can always block any changes and avoid any charges of elitism by saying "abolish it!"

Canadian Conservatives finally have the power to reform that dis-functional disgusting throwback to European feudalism. And Canadian Progressives are scared.

They should be.

Senate Regression

Rumblings of a disaster on the PM's senate reform strategy. Apparently appointing a whack of loyalists to the chamber of not-so-sober second thought to ram through Senate reform can have its hiccups:

While a handful, like staunch Ontario Conservatives Bob Runciman and Doug Finley pledged full support for an elected Senate, senators Mike Duffy, Irving Gerstein and Glen Patterson refused to say whether they still support the government’s legislation.(link)

It's the 21st century - and yet we still have a body of legislators not chosen by the people? Shouldn't it be a right for people to choose who represents them, or am I just crazy?

I think it's time for responsible government to make a comeback in this country.

If there are some turncoats that want to change their minds at the 11th hour - I say let them.

They're fighting a tide that has no end. It's an eventually for it to happen. The issue has been around since Confederation, and it will stick until it's finally fixed.

Over the long term people have a habit of fixing bad decisions. For that reason Senate Reform is an idea that can't be beat.

Richard Neufeld: The Unelected Tory Senator

Has elected to change his mind on the Senate:

"Before I came here, I only thought about it when it was brought up in newspaper articles, or someone was ranting and raving about the Senate when they talked about elections. But I thought we should have an elected Senate," Neufeld said.

Indeed, Neufeld has become a big booster of the current unelected Senate.

"It is time to quit kicking the Senate. It is time to start talking about the good things we do," he told fellow senators.(link)

His reasons for his newfound opposition?

Neufeld said he supports term limits but the Senate election bill is "neither workable nor effective."

By contrast, he said: "The appointment process is quick and cheap. You can have regional representation and do all kinds of things. You can get a cross-section of the people that you want in this place."

"...that you want..."?

That who wants? The people? Nope can't be them. They don't decide zilch.

What I'm guessing he means by "you" is the enlightened few and mighty up in Ottawa. That sounds like a healthy run-by-the-people democracy to me!

You can't be too picky about who you do and don't appoint as Senators. That would cost too much money. Senators only get paid hundred of thousands of dollars each year and make far reaching decisions on public policy that effect millions for decades... That isn't election worthy. That's just too much money.

But the Senator leaves his best argument for last!

He said he's the first senator ever to hail from northern British Columbia. If he'd had to seek election for the job, he doubted he'd have garnered many votes in Vancouver and the populous southern portion of the province.

Furthermore, he noted that the bill contemplates holding Senate elections at the same time as provincial or municipal elections. He said that would be confusing to voters, particularly in British Columbia where there is no Conservative party provincially.

Sooooo basically he's saying "gee whiz, I wouldn't even be here if I had to actually run in an election!"

Well me, being one those "confused" voters that won't be able to tell the difference between Dalton McGuilty, David Miller, and Hugh Segal, I guess should thank Mr Neufeld for looking after us stupids.

Ok my sarcasm is done for today. I promise.

Prorogation Follies

The Liberals are releasing new attack ads suggesting the Tories only prorogued parliament solely to get out of having to answer questions about the Afghan detainee issue. Apparently Stephen Harper has "something to hide."

I've heard this argument all over the blogosphere, the news, and the anywhere else you find hot air.

The only problem is that this argument is a very thin one.

Truly there seem to be three possible reasons why Stephen Harper prorogued parliament:

1. To consult with Canadians about the Budget. The government has made it clear that cut backs are going to be needed. It makes only sense from a strategic perspective that the Tories want a period of time to go through a consultation process. It will get the public ready for what's coming and it will serve as a justification for what we all know the government needs to do. Now the government will be able to say when the Liberals decry the cutbacks to come "We consulted with Canadians..."
   
   
2. To Push Senate Reform. By postponing the resumption of parliament it puts senate reform in a position to be achievable. Harper will no doubt appoint enough Senators in the in between for a Tory majority to be present there by the time parliament resumes. A Tory majority there will mean the only real block that was left to genuine reform has been removed.
   
   
3. To avoid the Afghan Detainee issue because they're Evil Reptilian Morons. If the government truly has done something dastardly in how Afghan detainees were handled in the last couple of years, there is no way they can avoid this information from eventually becoming public. The opposition is NOT going to spontaneously forget the issue when they return to parliament. Further, if you want the public to forget a scandal, you have an investigation as soon as possible. Dragging the issue on is a recipe for a disaster of AdScam proportions. If the information that the government is withholding is really as damning as the opposition suggests, Stephen Harper has effectively committed political suicide. He would have been far better off to disclose the problems, fire the appropriate people and move on. He's done just that in the past with previous scandals - why would he spontaneously change his mind now when it comes to this alleged scandal?

So take your pick, either Stephen Harper is an idiot demon from outer space that has sealed his political fate anyway or he's strategically positioning himself for the budget and senate reform.

Take it from me - Stephen Harper is no idiot.