Harper poised to make 8 Senate appointments

Proving once again he is a liar

or proving that he is Prime Minister and is more than willing to act like one, don't you think?

You know as well as I do that in order to have an elected senate all provinces have to agree in some type of accord, however since Harper is in the Minority it is hard for him to change this for the better since it wont make it out of the HOC let alone through the current senate.

So it automatically makes him a liar to appoint people?

To offense Trev but the hypocrisy on the left is astounding!!!!

I want an elected senate. And what you say is true about getting this type of reform through in a minority government.

But the fact is Harper is a liar, he specifically said during an election campaign he would not appoint unelected senators.

I don't know if I'd call him a liar, but this is definitely another case of him abandoning his (and his party's) political beliefs to stay in power.

I'd say hypocrite is a better label.

I agree with both your points. But the Senate has become a stumbling block to getting legislation through. If the Senate stopped blocking, for example, crime bills Harper would stop putting Tory stiffs in there. Also if the provinces agreed with Harper about elected senators (as Alberta has) it would eliminate the need for these patronage appointments.

The Liberals wouldn't work with him on Senate reform. All his appointees have agreed to support him on an elected Senate and 8 year terms.

What would you have him do otherwise and what would Iggy do?

Jacques Demers, ex-coach of the Habs, will be appointed. That's great for him but the problem is that he is illiterate. He can't read or write.

I agree with both your points. But the Senate has become a stumbling block to getting legislation through. If the Senate stopped blocking, for example, crime bills Harper would stop putting Tory stiffs in there. Also if the provinces agreed with Harper about elected senators (as Alberta has) it would eliminate the need for these patronage appointments.

Well gee whiz, guess where Harper is from and where his political base is...Alberta.

There was a deal to create an elected and effective senate (not equal though), but most Canadians (Albertans too) voted against it.

To change the senate requires changes to the Consitution itself, not piecemeal half-assed measures like Alberta and Harper keep trying to institute.

It isn't up to me to give him ideas, it's all on Harper to prove he's capable of coming up with them all by his wee self.
Appointing 8 hacks into existing seats because he can't get 100% his own way is exactly what's expected of a visionless twit.

Just stating a partisan position doesn't really add to the debate. I looked at this and the history of all this and Harper has made a decision that is politically prudent for his government.

Again, reform has been blocked by the opposistion parties, especially the Liberals. I don't blame them for doing it as it's politically prudent for them to retain control of the Senate.

It should be noted that Harper's vision of elected members with 8 year terms was impressed upon the new appointees and they have been required to agree with those principles prior to being appointed.

If it was the other way around I would expect Iggy to do the same. I would of course moaned about it but I would not have expected anything else. This is politics and Senate reform is unlikely without a Tory majority which in itself is unlikely.

Again, give me some choices here besides partisan bleating.

Here�s another perfect example of not understanding the problem and resorting to partisanship.

If every member of the opposition agreed to change the senate, it still wouldn�t happen. Without the provinces backing them to re-open the constitution things will stay exactly as they are. Ontario and Quebec will never go along.

The triple E senate was, and is a bullshit promise because no one can deliver it.

I have always supported the idea, however I also understand the impossibility of it ever occurring.

Harper is a hypocrite because he�s doing what every other PM has done and a liar for not explaining that he can�t do anything about it.

I don't think I'm being partisan on this, and I agree, reform on this seems impossible.

What is Harper to do instead though? Wait until he loses an election and let Iggy stack it with more Libs? Because that's what will happen.

Tough choices and come on poquas, your views on Harper are pretty well known and hardly non-partisan.

I'm no cheerleader here and I'll slag him on other issues when I don't believe a prudent choice has been made.

We can add this to the 18 he appointed back in December with the government prorogued. Thats 26 senate appointments in an 8 month period. The vast majority of them are obviously close aids and party faithful. From now on Harper and the cons who support him will never ever be able to complain when the Liberals appoint senators.