SENATE POLITICS

O.K. first off here is my bias. I can't stand Harper, Conservatives, corporations or other professional bullshit artists. That being said you can understand my basic enjoyment of watching the ongoing unfolding Senate scandal. It's just too delicious for words. Conservative Senators look like they are dancing to Harper's tune. Their so called independence seems to have disappeared with the exception of five who would not support ending the debate over the fate of Wallin, Duffy and Brazeau. Quite frankly Wallin and Duffy have gotten the lion's share of the bad press. Kicking them out of the Senate for up to two years is indeed horrific. To date it appears as if Wallin's expenses are the most egregious although even so there seems to be legitimate comments that Senate expense rules are murky to say the least. All in all it's a great time to be either a Liberal or NDP.

So I admit from a partisan standpoint I've loved the show. Here's the problem for me. My first two years of University I had a double major namely Economics and Political Science. I dropped the PoliSci after the second year but did learn a thing or two about the Canadian Senate. Things like a lifetime appointment into a body of sober second thought. A body that was supposed to be less partisan than the House of Commons. Where and when did it go all so wrong? Wrong it has gone with the appointments, both Liberal and Conservative, of failed party candidates, party bagmen, public personalities, athletes and on and on. Nevertheless I shudder at the Senate suspending one or three of their own. The debate and discussion should not have been ended with such unseemly haste. Perhaps waiting for more outside input, Gosh help us even that from the Mounties, should have been waited for. There is a bad precedent being set here and it certainly appears as if the government of the day (Conservative) are running the Senate show. Regardless of party numbers in the upper body (Senate); the governing party should not be giving the orders and the Senators should not be obeying them.