Senate reform? Let's do it. Part II
These are the Day's I know, I know. These are the Day's I know
Last week I wrote a post on the senate. The focus of my position and post -- in favour of senate reform -- was that senators (because they're unelected) are not only completely unaccountable and inaccessible, they lack credibility and effectiveness by virtue of the fact that serious issues, pertaining to the people and taxpayers which they are supposedly there to represent, are rarely addressed.
If you don't believe me, check out the Heard @ Hy's November 18th link on Bourque Newswatch which candidly displays New Brunswick Senator Joe Day's parliamentary junket list. If that's not bad enough, it appears taxpayers could be picking up the tab for a guy whose main priority is playing stalking horse for Frank McKenna. Not exactly solid reasons to keep the status quo in the red chamber, is it?
And to think, he's up for retirement in 2020. *Sigh*
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Winnipeg Free Press reporter Mary Agnes Welch analyzes what Manitobans get from their 6 senators for $120,000 a pop. Doesn't sound too promising, however, for a province with a larger population than New Brunswick, they get four less senators. Figure that one out. Although, I guess if you look at it from a financial standpoint, they probably get the same type of [lack-a-daisical] representation but don't have to pay $ 1.2 million a year (New Brunswick has ten senators, but one is vacant after Brenda Robertson retired last year). I guess there are some perks for having less unaccountable senators. ;-)
5 Comments:
It's funny that Joe Day is on every friendship junket around world, but none of the regions and countries he visited want to even migrate to his province to live. Talk about a waste of time.
Also, I surely wouldn't want to see what taxpayers are being charged for Day's 'friendly' world tour?
Abolish the senate. I can hardly wait for the day. Pun intended.
The only option that is truly undemocratic, unconscionable, and unfair is the status quo.
Funny how the Liberals want the Senate to remain unchanged and EVERYBODY else wants it binned or significantly reworked.
I'm glad that Harper's has chose to stay away from stacking the senate with partisan hacks and bagman like his predecessors Trudeau, Turner, Mulroney, Chretien and Martin.
I don't want to give the false impression that I am against all the work being done there.
Like I said in my original post, the senate --- despite the undeniable qualities of some senators --- is an affront to federalism and democracy. And for a libertarian who believes in strengthening our democratic institutions, it's not about who's is there as much as how they go there. Although, you could argue the former as well.
Notwithstanding a couple, they all ended up there through the rule of appointment, not via a demicratically held election.
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