[CanadianJeff]

um OTI why can't we just leave a senate seat vacant? It doesn't seem to me that it's going to start any huge issue. The vast majority of people just contact their MP.

Also the biggest hurdle for Harper hasn't been the NDP or the Liberals but the courts. Harper has been forced to wait a fair while for the supreme court to decide just how far he can go with senate reform. To blame it on the NDP or Liberals is missing the biggest elephant in the room even if it does make for good promo pamphlets.

[OnTheIce]

CanadianJeff CanadianJeff:

um OTI why can't we just leave a senate seat vacant? It doesn't seem to me that it's going to start any huge issue. The vast majority of people just contact their MP.

Leaving a seat vacant is fine, as they currently have one now. Gutting the senate and leaving it empty just won't fly.

The Senate has a job to do. It would be nice to leave the place empty but unfortunately, they still have a role to play in our Country. If the sitting government wants to push through any of it's plans for the Country, they need the support of the Senate which is a huge load of BS.

CanadianJeff CanadianJeff:

Also the biggest hurdle for Harper hasn't been the NDP or the Liberals but the courts. Harper has been forced to wait a fair while for the supreme court to decide just how far he can go with senate reform. To blame it on the NDP or Liberals is missing the biggest elephant in the room even if it does make for good promo pamphlets.

My apologies for including the NDP as they've been pushing for abolishing the Senate so let's place the blame where it deserves to be placed.

Liberal Senators & Quebec.

Elected Senate or no Senate at all is how it should be. Bill C-7 is now before the Supreme Court. We'll have to wait for a decision on what direction to take.

[Zipperfish]

Bodah Bodah:

Ditto that.

He keeps on trying, but the opposition continously votes against any attempt no matter how small when it comes to Senate reform. Then they have the gaul to call him on it when shit goes wrong on his watch though.

He's been trying to change it. Stop blocking the motions.

It's nothing more than intellectual plumb-dumb cheap shots that most of us aren't buying.

Who is blocking th motions? I thought the NDP wanted teh Senate abolished? And I thought Harper was running the thing through the Supreme COurt to see if a COnsitutional amendment was required.

Anyways, I'm all for an elected Senate, don't get me wrong.

It's still just funny that Mr. Triple-E senate is in deep doo-doo over these COnservatvie hacks he's promoted to Lotto Senate.

[Curtman]

Bodah Bodah:

OnTheIce OnTheIce:

Zippperfish Zippperfish:

I think the laughing point here is that Harper is running into all this troubole with these senators that he said he'd never appoint.

Almost as funny as watching people like you make this comment despite the facts:

1. You can't leave the Senate empty and seats permanently vacant.

2. The Government has tried to bring forth change to the Senate 4-5 times only to be blocked by the Liberals and the NDP.

Ditto that.

He keeps on trying, but the opposition continously votes against any attempt no matter how small when it comes to Senate reform. Then they have the gaul to call him on it when shit goes wrong on his watch though.

He's been trying to change it. Stop blocking the motions.

It's nothing more than intellectual plumb-dumb cheap shots that most of us aren't buying.

Supreme Court Referral on Conservative Senate Reform Five Years Too Late ( September 17, 2012 )

$1:

Liberal Democratic Reform critic Stéphane Dion made the following statement today on the government’s plan to refer its Senate reform legislation to the Supreme Court:

“Liberals have long called on this government to refer its Senate reform legislation to the Supreme Court in order to ensure its constitutionality. In fact, it was Liberal Senators who first made this recommendation in a 2007 report of the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs. Unfortunately, the government chose to ignore our requests, and instead spent years dragging its feet.

It is puzzling that it has taken the Harper Conservatives so long to come to this realization. Had they heeded our advice at the outset, they would be five years further down the road on these changes.”

Liberals to derail Harper Senate reform plan ( June 6, 2007 )

$1:

Liberals, who hold a big majority in the upper house, will insist that the Senate not proceed with the bill until the Supreme Court of Canada determines whether it's constitutional for Parliament to proceed unilaterally, without provincial consent.

Thanks for wasting half a decade before coming around to the Liberal position, again Steve.

[Curtman]

CDN_PATRIOT CDN_PATRIOT:

Curtman Curtman:

Brazeau pulls the race card, and the innocent until proven guilty after his weeks long smear campaign against Theresa Spence.

Because Theresa Spence has sooo much more credibility and respect

-J.

And she doesn't deserve to be proven guilty, but he does. This is your argument?

[CDN_PATRIOT]

Curtman Curtman:

CDN_PATRIOT CDN_PATRIOT:

Curtman Curtman:

Brazeau pulls the race card, and the innocent until proven guilty after his weeks long smear campaign against Theresa Spence.

Because Theresa Spence has sooo much more credibility and respect

-J.

And she doesn't deserve to be proven guilty, but he does. This is your argument?

They are both guilty, plain and simple. You're trying to play the sympathy card for Spence. She's no better than Brazeau.

I don't have an argument, because you're only counter for every argument known to man is "It's all Harper's fault! HE EATS BABIES TOO!!!" Therefore, I'd much rather go have an intelligent political debate with my cat, who puts up a better counterpoint than you ever will.

-J.

[Curtman]

They are both guilty? By which court?

[FieryVulpine]

Given that there is no paper trail for 80% of Attawapiskat's spending over the past six years, and overseen by Chief Spense for the past few years, it is reasonable to deduce she is either incompetent or corrupt. The Deliotte (or however it is spelled) audit and Spense's hostility to the media after its release made that clear.

As for Brazeau, I imagine the media will show us the evidence in their coverage of the trial.

[DrCaleb]

Zipperfish Zipperfish:

I think the laughing point here is that Harper is running into all this troubole with these senators that he said he'd never appoint.

I'm starting to think it's a clever ploy by Harper. Appoint a few yahoos to the Senate, wait for them to self implode and use the public backlash to abolish the Senate.

[Zipperfish]

I notice Sun News has pulled all their news/footage of Brazeau supprting their drive to get the CRTC to give them mandatory carriage. ha ha ha

[Freakinoldguy]

DrCaleb DrCaleb:

Zipperfish Zipperfish:

I think the laughing point here is that Harper is running into all this troubole with these senators that he said he'd never appoint.

I'm starting to think it's a clever ploy by Harper. Appoint a few yahoos to the Senate, wait for them to self implode and use the public backlash to abolish the Senate.

Yes yes yes.

No more inflated salaries, no more inflated pensions, no more supposedly sober second thought that is based on partisanship and no more plush appointments based on your ability to raise funds for your masters.

It'd be a win win for all of us.

[Yogi]

I'm putting my money on a defense of " I was set up"!


Any takers???

[Jonny_C]

Interesting background explaining the law...

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/andrew-fel ... 49331.html

[Jonny_C]

Freakinoldguy Freakinoldguy:

Yes yes yes.

No more inflated salaries, no more inflated pensions, no more supposedly sober second thought that is based on partisanship and no more plush appointments based on your ability to raise funds for your masters.

It'd be a win win for all of us.

Heartily agree.

The Senate is a costly and useless appendage, and the best way to "reform" it is to amputate it.

[raydan]

Jonny_C Jonny_C:

Interesting background explaining the law...

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/andrew-fel ... 49331.html

While true that the way the law is applied leaves room for abuse, it probably does more good than bad.