Senate Resignations

I had thought up until now that although the appointment of the senators was questionable, that the upper chamber was actually independent of the government, as much as possible given that they all were appointed by one party or another. Guess I was naïve!
Can anyone say if this type of “interference” has taken place to any extent before, or is it just the control freak and his buddys doing this. Given that the same seems to be happening in HoC committees it seems to be a case of my way or NO way. This government has no respect for our parliamentary system (flawed as it may be) or our elected representatives no mater what party they represent. And this from a Minority govenment, god help us if they ever get a majority.


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When you are up to your ass in alligators it is difficult to remember that the initial objective was to drain the swamp

"The Conservatives say the musical chairs in committees is their prerogative and simply administrative. The Liberals say it's a case of a crackdown on independent-minded senators by Prime Minister Stephen Harper's office."

Given that the PMO has been filtering every statement made by Conservative MPs at every level, and also essentially trying to control press conferences, as well as avoiding the old press scrums of days gone by, I would have to say that the Liberal assertion of cracking the whip is the correct one.

Harper, as anyone with a working pair of eyes can see, is the consummate control freak.

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"and the knowledge they fear is a weapon to be used against them"

"The Weapon" - Rush

The purpose of the Senate is to provide "a sober second look." Although the appointment process is generally partisan once appointed the Senators in theory were to have a great deal of freedom. In fact, Hugh Segal was appointed by Paul Martin. Both Meighen and Segal came from the Progressive Conservative side of the merger and both have been considered as leadership material. That may be why Harper is paranoid about them.

Extra senators have been appointed at times to get through a certain piece of legislation that was being blocked by an opposing party in the Senate as Mulroney did.

I have never heard of the party taking control over the actual processes in the Senate such as the selection of Chairs of committees. Much of what the Senate does in non-partisan.

What the new Conservatives are doing is revealing how partisanship can destroy any effectness of the "sober second look." Both Meighen and Segal have criticized the government. Liberal senators have criticized Liberal governments without interference.

Stephen Harper has taken partisanship and divisiveness to a new level in trying to control the Senate and judiciary.

He is also creating a parallel public service run by the corporate sector in things such as with the North American Competitiveness Council (some in the U.S. say that Bush has done the same thing).

There is no doubt that Stephen Harper is a control freak. Remember the motto he used when he became leader of the new Conservatives: One Conservative Voice. He clearly meant it.