Harpers Conservative Senate Appointment

[g_bambino]

Who is talking about absolute individual freedom? We are talking about Parliament, period.

You appear to be talking about it; unless I'm mistaken, you can't fathom how someone who represents your region in the Senate was not put in place by you. Further, since parliament also includes the Crown, we're discussing more than simply the two legislative chambers, and once the Crown comes into play, your desire to start electing every body of parliament begins to touch on all aspects of government, from executive power in Ottawa through to the enforcement of law on the streets of every town; after all, does your version of democracy arbitrarily stop at the doors of parliament because you say so? Perhaps you simply need to come up with a more refined argument for elected senators than "give me more democracy!"

[g_bambino]

OK, tell me who Harper consulted with when he made the recent appointments and what each of their recommendations were. I would like to know who else was being considered and why they weren't appointed.

I'm not your MP. Ask him to ask for you; that is his job, after all.

[Wilber]

You appear to be talking about it; unless I'm mistaken, you can't fathom how someone who represents your region in the Senate was not put in place by you. Further, since parliament also includes the Crown, we're discussing more than simply the two legislative chambers, and once the Crown comes into play, your desire to start electing every body of parliament begins to touch on all aspects of government, from executive power in Ottawa through to the enforcement of law on the streets of every town; after all, does your version of democracy arbitrarily stop at the doors of parliament because you say so? Perhaps you simply need to come up with a more refined argument for elected senators than "give me more democracy!"

Garbage.

[Wilber]

I'm not your MP. Ask him to ask for you; that is his job, after all.

No you are not my MP but you seem quite prepared to tell me how my representatives should be chosen, after the fact of course without my consent or knowledge because I can't be trusted. Still arrogant and condescending I see.

[g_bambino]

Garbage.

Mmm... that's certainly more concise, but not really more refined. I'm certain you can do better than that.

[Smallc]

No you are not my MP but you seem quite prepared to tell me how my representatives should be chosen,

The Constitution does that.

[g_bambino]

No you are not my MP but you seem quite prepared to tell me how my representatives should be chosen, after the fact of course without my consent or knowledge because I can't be trusted. Still arrogant and condescending I see.

Are you embarassed because you asked for something that already exists?

[Wilber]

Mmm... that's certainly more concise, but not really more refined. I'm certain you can do better than that.

Not really, it is what it is.

[Wilber]

Are you embarassed because you asked for something that already exists?

More garbage, still arrogant and condescending.

[g_bambino]

More garbage, still arrogant and condescending.

Look, you obviously seem to think that my main motivation here is to make you look like some kind of fool. That's not the case, however; I'm merely pointing out the weaknesses in your argument. How you respond to that is up to you.

[Wilber]

Let's cut the crap here.

You believe that the Senate should be constructed according to a formula which gives regional status to two individual provinces while lumping the rest of the provinces into regions as defined by those two provinces. I do not.

You believe the peoples representatives in the upper house should be chosen behind closed doors by persons unknown and only revealed to the public after the fact and without any explanation of the process that put them there. I do not.

[Wilber]

Look, you obviously seem to think that my main motivation here is to make you look like some kind of fool.

Don't flatter yourself.

[jdobbin]

So, either Mr. Brazeau didn't disclose all these potential landmines or Mr. Harper has seriously flawed judgement or bad political radar.

There are a lot of native people wondering just who Brazeau represents because they don't know who he is or don't know his organization. It seemed he got funding because he was espousing Conservative ideas.

Edited February 4, 2009 by jdobbin

[g_bambino]

Don't flatter yourself.

[g_bambino]

You believe that the Senate should be constructed according to a formula which gives regional status to two individual provinces while lumping the rest of the provinces into regions as defined by those two provinces.

I never made such a claim.

You believe the peoples representatives in the upper house should be chosen behind closed doors by persons unknown and only revealed to the public after the fact and without any explanation of the process that put them there. I do not.

I never made such claims, either.

[Wilber]

I never made such a claim.

I never made such claims, either.

You like the status quo and that is our present system.

[Smallc]

You like the status quo and that is our present system.

Maybe that's because our current system seems to work pretty well. People have been proposing Senate changes since before Confederation. Doesn't make any of the ideas better than what we have.

[Wilber]

Maybe that's because our current system seems to work pretty well. People have been proposing Senate changes since before Confederation. Doesn't make any of the ideas better than what we have.

Why doesn't it? Just because our Constitution makes most of them almost impossible to implement doesn't mean there are no better ideas. We can't change the Senate's function and we probably shouldn't but we can change other things about it. If you want an MP from some other province choosing your representatives without any input from you, that's your business but don't expect me to go along with it.

We went four years in BC with only two opposition members in the legislature. That isn't healthy. A similar thing happens to the Senate when one federal party is in power long enough to pack it with their appointees. That isn't healthy either and can't be rectified by an election in four years.

[Smallc]

Why doesn't it? Just because our Constitution makes most of them almost impossible to implement doesn't mean there are no better ideas.

Correct. If we're making changes, it better make some meaningful difference for the good because otherwise, I don't see a reason to open the constitution. Also, If we're going to open the Constitution to fix the Senate, then we'd better fix the house...and then something else comes up...and on and on it goes.

[g_bambino]

You like the status quo and that is our present system.

I am content with the status quo when it comes to the Senate being an appointed body. I've offered no opinion either way when it comes to the actual appointment process or the pattern of regional representation in the upper house.

I could be convinced that an elected Senate is preferrable to what we have presently, but so far no argument has drawn me to that side of the debate. If changing to an elective process offers no improvement, then I see no reason to implement the changes.

[madmax]

Mover over Bernier..... Harpers Senate Choice has you beat

Mr. Brazeau resigned from the congress after his Senate appointment in December amid criticism he would be drawing two six-figure salaries at the same time. He said yesterday he wanted to keep both positions but resigned from the congress when he realized that holding the two jobs simultaneously would be problematic.

Problematic. Yeah, that's it.

In yet another controversy surrounding Mr. Brazeau, a Health Canada audit resulted in funds to the congress being frozen and a demand for repayment after $260,000 in expense claims was rejected.

"This is something that's near and dear to me given my track record on accountability," Mr. Brazeau said.

Dirty Laundry?

Rinse and Spin.

Unfortunately," Mr. Brazeau said, "we have to pick from different programs to be able to cover our salaries, so if I dedicate, for example, 30 per cent of my time on the health-related issues, well, there's a component in that health budget to be able to cover my salary."

And then there is the Porsche. Some have complained that it is wrong for a man who represents a marginalized group to drive a Porsche SUV.

I do drive a Porsche but it's a second-hand model," Mr. Brazeau said. "And what's even more important is that this vehicle was purchased before I even got the phone call from the Prime Minister to sit in the Senate. And so I'm glad I have this opportunity to set the record straight, because it was misleading in terms of what was reported with that."

I have no idea the purpose of the bolded sentence above.

What's also important to note is that when the audit was conducted, I was not national chief of the congress." In fact, he was vice-chief.

Well now that's cleared up.

And as for his two drinking buddies. He instituted a policy of NO drinking on the job.

I just read so many lame answers, I have every reason to believe the media is going to follow this guy around and have a field day.

Move Over Max Bernier, your bikers and biker chick connections are yesterdays news.