Reasons to reflect on Senate choices
In the next few days, Prime Minister Stephen Harper is expected to name 18 new senators – the biggest-ever single batch of appointments to the Upper House. That's because the vacancies in the 105-seat chamber have built up as Harper has held off on Senate appointments for three years in the vain hope of persuading the provinces to go along with his idea of electing senators.
Now Harper believes he must appoint a whole bunch at once to maintain the Senate as a functioning legislative chamber and to redress the partisan imbalance. (There are currently 58 Liberals and only 20 Conservatives in the Senate. The other nine senators are independents of various kinds and "Progressive Conservatives" who have never reconciled themselves to the merger with the Reform wing of the Conservative party.)
Some critics have suggested that Harper should hold off on the appointments for at least another month or so, given that Parliament was prorogued at his behest to avoid a confidence vote that his government almost certainly would have lost.
3 comments:
And of course those critics would prefer that Harper had waited until the Coalition had defeated Harper so it could appoint Senators instead.
But they overlook the fact that the Coalition does not enjoy the confidence of the Canadian people.
I would argue that the confidence of Canadians is more important than the confidence of Parliament, any day of the week.
Overall Harper has to stand accountable for playing politics rather than give us what we voted for....less government and a move to the right. He should of introduced legislation that the "promised" even though it would defeated but at least he would be walking the talk.
On Senate Reform unless the provinces come on board it would have been a waste of time so trying level the playing field, through these appointments, is the right thing to do.
I actually agree with you about that. While I recognize that the Senate appointments in question may well have been necessary, there's no question that Harper doesn't look very good right now.
He isn't alone. Most Prime Ministers look very much like common politicians after what really can't help but look like a patronage binge.
We expected something very different from Harper, and I agree with you that he'd better have good answers when the time comes.
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