Sad when a Conservative Senator has to do the job that opposition MPs should be doing.
My least favourite parts of this article:
“Given the state of politics right now, it effectively silences debate by the opposition parties,” he said. “If they ever wanted to ram something through without full House attention and public awareness, this is the way to do it.”
The House finance committee approved the bill without amendment on Thursday after the Liberals kept one MP away from all votes to ensure no sections were defeated. Liberals argue the tactic was consistent with their position that while they oppose the budget, they do not want to trigger an election.
The NDP tried last month to give the House finance committee the power to split the bill, but the attempt fell short in a 133-128 vote.
Liberal senator and finance committee member Pierrette Ringuette said she’s “not impressed” by her party’s position in the House, and said the bill can be split without sending Canadians to the polls. She has written to MPs asking them to split the bill before sending it to the Senate.
“Opposition MPs voting together can stop this abuse,” Mr. Murray said. “Non-government supporters in the Senate should be able to round up enough votes to do so if the opposition parties in the Commons, again, fail in their duty.”
8 comments:
You point out that it's only a Conservative senator who is speaking out. This is wrong on two counts. For starters, Sen. Murray is a Progressive Conservative. "Conservative" suggests he is a member of the government caucus and that couldn't be farther from the truth. Furthermore, the quote you chose also points out that Liberal senator Pierrette Ringuette has also been fighting for this issue. She is a Liberal. Did you miss that? Or did it just not fit that well with your snark?
Um. Peter McKay is a Progressive Conservative. Does that make him NOT Conservative?
What I think I said was that opposition MPs are not doing their job. I don't recall saying anything about opposition Senators. I think my "snark" is more like REALITY.
Actually, Peter Mackay is not a Progressive COnservative. He is a Conservative Cabinet Minister - he was a former Progressive Conservative leader, but that party no longer exists in the H of C.
By contrast, heather is correct; Senator Lowell Murray is designated in the Senate as an independent Progressive Conservative senator, - the same as Senator Elaine McCoy is - and not a member of the Conservative Senator caucus or a member of the government party.
Sue me.
He's not a Liberal either, is he? He has "Conservative" after his name doesn't he? Like as in Progressive "Conservative". Like as in a Mulroney PC?
The point is this...For the third straight time, the Liberal members of the HoC have failed to call the government on their Omnibus budget bills.
I made this a strong point of contention in '08 when Dion lost the immigrant vote after allowing the immigration changes in the '08 budget bill to pass. I flew to Vancouver to express my frustration to the national campaign co-chair...on my own dime.
http://whatdoiknowgrit.blogspot.com/2008/06/immigration-bill-vs-julie-couillard.html
He's an opposition Senator, James.. not a Conservative Senator/part of the government party, as you're implying here.
I realize that's not central to your argument, but I think folks are merely correcting the impression that it's a government senator holding the government to account, when that's clearly not the case.
(Ask Senator Mccoy or Murray if they think there's a distinction.. I suspect you'll find they do).
It is time to CLEAR THE SLATE!!
It is time to make the eligibility of MPs for pensions an election issue.
This issue cuts across all parties.
I think there is one thing that all Canadians can agree on - our current Parliamentarians generally SUCK!!
How can we justify paying this dysfunctional group over $30 million a year once they all become eligible for their pensions.
Now I don't begrudge paying our politicians their due. In fact, it is my feeling that under normal circumstances, MPs should be paid handsomely for their work and for having to put their lives on hold and to subjecting themselves to the kind of brutal invasion that Helena Guergis has (i.e. publishing the details of her mortgage).
However, as a recently published study has shown, our current Parliament is the least educated, least experienced and least functional Parliament in Canada's recent history.
Recent polls have all shown that Canadians are disgusted with their political representation at the federal level and Canadians need to speak up and demand an election solely on the issue of rewarding this Parliament with a gold-plated pension.
Just think, the cost of the election could be covered by the savings of only one year of not having to pay the pensions.
For me, it doesn't matter whether those eligible are separatists, socialists, do-nothing Liberals or fascists.
My suggestion is that we have a "Switcheroo Election".
Let's figure out which MPs are eligible for their pension and a campaign should be waged on one simple issue - their pension.
It's time to elect some people who are going to be serious about governing.
And now that I think of it, on top of the pension issue, we should have another election to get rid of all of the Party Leaders.
Let's clear that slate as well.
I can't remember a time when we have had such a dismal group of options in terms of Party Leaders.
Let's take this opportunity and send Harper, Ignatieff, Layton, and Duceppe packing.
We need a new generation of Leaders who are serious about GOVERNING, not politics.
I don't care that the Senator is Liberal or Conservative - a Progressive Conservative is still a Conservative. However, it is great that someone is pointing out how anaemic Liberal Party has become. Screw them. I am done with Liberals.
Post a Comment