Senate Refooooooooorm
I am very frustrated by the events of recent days. I have been fighting for a Triple-E Senate for 15 years, and finally our party gets elected (twice) with a (lower house) mandate to reform the Senate. But stall tactics, opposition and general aggrevation of the process has led us to where we are now: NOWHERE.
The NDP, Bloc and some provinces want the Senate abolished. I’m really starting to think that’s what we’re going to have to do.
There are really three options: the status quo (this requires any old Liberal majority), abolish the Senate (the Conservatives team with the NDP and the provinces to do so sooner rather than later), or a Triple-E Senate (possibly, though not certainly, requiring convincing/replacing a bunch of provincial governments, waiting about 2 years to get a Conservative majority in the Senate by doing the very thing we despise: appointing them, and also achieving a majority of Conservatives in the House of Commons).
I can understand the argument for abolishing the Senate. And if you believe the Senate should be abolished, I can also understand why you wouldn’t want it reformed (it would gain legitimacy and abolishment might never be politically possible). But I still believe that “reformed” it could be a valuable institution.
But I am truly saddened by the events of the past few days. I don’t blame Stephen Harper – the same opposition that chastises him for appointing Senators when he said he wouldn’t is the same opposition that thwarted all his attempts to reform the institution and held a threat over his head that they would appoint their own Senators when they completed their coup d’etat – Elizabeth May was practically salivating at the trough – pushing the numbers so high in the Senate that the earliest possible date to reform it again would be April 22, 2016 when Liberal Senator Céline Hervieux-Payette is due to retire (assuming nobody dies, and EVERY SINGLE Senator appointed until then after the 18 Liberals was a Conservative – ya, right).
So, the short answer for the Senate Reform date if Harper hadn’t acted now: NEVER.
I think the Conservative Party should spend about 12 months trying to find some common ground to reform the Senate with the Liberals. The threat will be: help us reform it, or we will work with the NDP (and Bloc) to abolish it. This might just get the Liberal’s attention. Failing this, we follow through and work to abolish it.
As much as I’d like to see it reformed, abolishing it would be far better than the current system.
Michael McCain, Maple Leaf CEO
The terrible events of the Listeria outbreak and all the human tragedy resulting from it cannot be underestimated. My intention with this post is in no way meant to take away or belittle this reality.
But I would like to share with you how refreshing it was to see how the Maple Leaf Foods CEO Michael McCain handled this whole terrible situation.
You expect these guys to hunker down, point fingers, pass blame, play down the tragedy, and withhold the apology the families deserve – for fear of a legal consequence. Later, you expect them to disrespect the families of the victims – fight them tooth and nail in court – and certainly never apologize.
But not Michael McCain. He acted swiftly to pull the products, took immediate responsibility, held a press conference to apologize to the families and answer the hard questions – all the while genuine and sympathetic. Then, when it comes time to deal with the inevitable lawsuits, they are dealt with quickly and sincerely.
Not only is this approach refreshing, but it’s also good business. The hardnosed approach typical in these situations usually leads to nasty lawsuits that eventually cost these businesses far more (both money and reputation).
Michael McCain is a class act. If only we could say the same about all our politicians.
The upside down world I woke up in.
I was 30 meters away from that gondola in Whistler before we decided we’d take the new peak-2-peak gondola back to the top of Whistler Mountain – joking all the way that we were on a “new” gondola that could collapse at any moment. We saw the ambulances and fire trucks as we arrived at the bottom.
Then we spent 12 precarious hours driving back to Victoria in blizzard-like conditions the next day.
My son got a cold on the notorious BC Ferries “Children’s Play Area” (read: “Children’s Disease Sharing Area”), and now I can’t give him any cold medicine until he’s 6.
Whistler is fun in summer; avoid it in Winter!
But, then again, it’s snowing in Las Vegas. Bloody global warming!
The Tories are at 46% in the polls – still. Yet people like Ignatieff. I guess it’s a case of “we like him, but won’t vote for him.”
We’re going to (reluctantly) run a $30 billion deficit instead of a (scheduled) $3 billion surplus. We’re also (reluctantly) appointing Senators.
The warranty on my 2008 Jeep Patriot is probably useless (“Jeep” is made by Chrysler).
It’s Christmas in 6 days, and I haven’t started shopping yet.
At least Danny Chavez is still busily building his communist dictatorship in Newfoundland and Labrador – apparently the lack of property rights in our constitution does matter from time to time. Well, at least some things never change.
Dumont Resigns
I don’t think anyone saw that coming. I guess when you come so close only to be pushed back to the brink, it wears on you a bit.
Congratulations to Mario Dumont on his contribution to Quebec and Canada!
Hippies in Mercier?
For an anglo in the far West of the country, I hadn’t heard of Québec solidaire or Amir Khadir (yes, apparently, his name does rhyme). But congratulations go out to him for winning in the riding of Mercier.
I was just thinking, too, that one thing Quebec needed was a party on the far left (politics in Quebec is always waaaayyyy too right wing).
Perhaps we’ll be hearing much more about Amir and far less about Mario in the coming months.
What a strange country we live in.
Dominic LeBlanc: The Anti-Democrat
First Dominic LeBlanc doesn’t believe in democracy for the country. Replace the elected Government with a coalition that nobody voted for (and that his party and his coalition partner specifically campaigned to not do).
Now he doesn’t believe in democracy in his own party – have the caucus choose the permanent leader.
Wow.
The Liberal Party of Canada has truly sold its soul.
Victoria Anti-Coalition Rally
Derek Fildebrandt did a bang up job organizing the anti-coalition rally in Victoria.
I had the honour of reading the national speech, which was hands-down the best written speech I’ve ever delivered (which is hard to say, since I’ve written most of them myself). Kudos to the authors!
I posted my Victoria rally photos on FaceBook.
Considering Victoria wasn’t on the original list of rally cities and we had about 2 days to organize, we did very well to get around 200 people out for this rally in the pouring rain.
Thanks to everyone who came, and kudos especially to Derek for his leadership on this.
So, What’s up for Tomorrow …
Who knows what tomorrow will bring for the coalition. They say a week is a long time in politics. Apparently so is 12 hours.
The World Has Noticed
Saw this in The Economist today. The world has noticed, and they’re chuckling.
Lockin’ The Doors
Dion wants to see “monumental” changes in order to support the budget.
Dear Mr. Dion: please define what you mean by “monumental” so that the Government that Canadians elected have a fair shot at putting what you want into this budget.
Dion also says that “without the coalition, imagine where Canada would be today.”
I would say that without the coalition, Canada would be on its way to a budget, instead of this political circus thrust upon us by the NDP and Bloc strategists.
So now the coalition will bring down the Government on January 26th just to delay things even further.
So, let me understand, because you are in such a hurry, you are going to delay economic action even more?
Way to put the country first, Dion!
Hey, here’s an idea: How about working together on an economic action plan!
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