Will Stephen Harper resign over the Senate scandal?

jacee · November 1, 2013

That's incorrect. Her involvement depends on what the internal matter is.

When has she ever intervened?

jacee · November 1, 2013

Well, sure, he could. But, so what? What's the impact of that on a senator?

Pretty much destroys their reputation. They become untouchable pariahs.

g_bambino · November 1, 2013

When has she ever intervened?

That isn't relevant.

g_bambino · November 1, 2013

Pretty much destroys their reputation. They become untouchable pariahs.

Only to some and not necessarily in the Senate. They still get to sit in the Senate, carry out their senatorial duties, and get paid.

jacee · November 1, 2013

Only to some and not necessarily in the Senate. They still get to sit in the Senate, carry out their senatorial duties, and get paid.

That remains to be seen.

If Conservative Senators vote as Harper wants - to kick Duffy Wallin Brazeau out of the Senate - any one of them could be next on his hit list.

If they vote against Harper's wishes ... what can he do to them? I don't know, but I'm sure he'll find a way to punish them and I expect they know that too.

g_bambino · November 1, 2013

That remains to be seen.

No, not really; senators have been booted from their caucuses before.

jacee · November 1, 2013

No, not really; senators have been booted from their caucuses before.

Yes, and Harper's now trying to boot them out of the Senate.

It remains to be seen whether he can.

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g_bambino · November 1, 2013

Yes, and Harper's now trying to boot them out of the Senate.

You've evidently not been reading what I write.

Harper can't boot them out of the Senate. Only senators can boot a senator out of the Senate. Harper wants Wallin, Duffy, and Brazeau out of the Senate, but that won't happen unless enough senators either happen to feel the same way he does or will do his bidding. The question we've been considering is: why would a senator feel the need to do the prime minister's bidding? He can't do anything to a senator besides kick him or her out of caucus (should they actually be of the prime minister's party).

jacee · November 1, 2013

You've evidently not been reading what I write.

Harper can't boot them out of the Senate. Only senators can boot a senator out of the Senate. Harper wants Wallin, Duffy, and Brazeau out of the Senate, but that won't happen unless enough senators either happen to feel the same way he does or will do his bidding. The question we've been considering is: why would a senator feel the need to do the prime minister's bidding? He can't do anything to a senator besides kick him or her out of caucus (should they actually be of the prime minister's party).

Yes that's right.

To punish them for not doing as Harper wants.

Harper's style, but maybe bad optics.

We'll see what the Party brass come up with this weekend. I expect there will be a save-face reduced suspension proposal that dissenting Conservative senators can live with ... for the sake of party unity.

Harper also has to toe the Party line.

cybercoma · November 2, 2013

Yes, and Harper's now trying to boot them out of the Senate.

It remains to be seen whether he can.

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He can't. He has no authority to remove a Senator that has been appointed by the Queen to the Upper House.

jacee · November 2, 2013

He can't. He has no authority to remove a Senator that has been appointed by the Queen to the Upper House.

Technically no, but he's trying to strongarm Conservatives into voting them out.

I think the weekend will tell another tale though.

matilda · November 2, 2013

Well if this is the biggest scandal committed by the Conservatives compared to the previous Liberals .. it's peanuts. As for Duffy's rebuttal, sounds like one of my kids when they were little "so & so made me do it". :rolleyes: I wonder how Duffy managed to live in a condemned building and charge taxpayers that it was his principal residence ... I wonder how many years these types of misdeeds have been going on unnoticed or covered up. Harper said he was going to clean up the Senate and he is doing just that .... headlines should not say scandal but HARPER CLEANING UP A GENERATION OF SENATE MISPENDING" - Nawh!! that would not make good news for the left media. Drats!!

Now I shall put my feet up in my recliner, fireplace is on and a nice glass of Merlot poured, while a silly bone the left continues to chew on continues. :rolleyes:

cybercoma · November 2, 2013

Technically no, but he's trying to strongarm Conservatives into voting them out.

I think the weekend will tell another tale though.

Not technically no. It's no. Full stop. Wallin, Brazeau, and Duffy now realize that he can't do anything to them. The party whip can try to get the Conservative senators to all vote together a particular way, but they are by no means required to. Even if they lose their party status by being removed from caucus, it's inconsequential in the Senate. They're not running for re-election, so their party name doesn't matter. Harper has no authority over Senators. There's literally nothing he can do to them that would be of any consequence.

On Guard for Thee · November 2, 2013

Well if this is the biggest scandal committed by the Conservatives compared to the previous Liberals .. it's peanuts. As for Duffy's rebuttal, sounds like one of my kids when they were little "so & so made me do it". I wonder how Duffy managed to live in a condemned building and charge taxpayers that it was his principal residence ... I wonder how many years these types of misdeeds have been going on unnoticed or covered up. Harper said he was going to clean up the Senate and he is doing just that .... headlines should not say scandal but HARPER CLEANING UP A GENERATION OF SENATE MISPENDING" - Nawh!! that would not make good news for the left media. Drats!!

Now I shall put my feet up in my recliner, fireplace is on and a nice glass of Merlot poured, while a silly bone the left continues to chew on continues.

It certainly may be one of the most populat scandals, but it's certainly nowhere near the only one. There is a litany, the crowning glory is the first and only PM to be found in contempt.

On Guard for Thee · November 2, 2013

Not technically no. It's no. Full stop. Wallin, Brazeau, and Duffy now realize that he can't do anything to them. The party whip can try to get the Conservative senators to all vote together a particular way, but they are by no means required to. Even if they lose their party status by being removed from caucus, it's inconsequential in the Senate. They're not running for re-election, so their party name doesn't matter. Harper has no authority over Senators. There's literally nothing he can do to them that would be of any consequence.

I concur. The senate itself may be able to vote Harper's hand picked trio out of the chamber, but they can't stop their pay. That is protected by statute and the senate has no authority to alter statutes that are on the books. And I suspect none of them would really like to provide a way to get voted off the gravy train.

On Guard for Thee · November 2, 2013

No she isn't. The Queen of Canada is our head of state.

Queen of Canada, Elizabeth II

On Guard for Thee · November 2, 2013

Any comments on Harper's speech to day? I reckon he did absolutely nothing to calm the waters. I'm sure QP will be stuck in exactly the same rut come Monday.

Jimmy Wilson · November 2, 2013

Well if this is the biggest scandal committed by the Conservatives compared to the previous Liberals .. it's peanuts. As for Duffy's rebuttal, sounds like one of my kids when they were little "so & so made me do it". I wonder how Duffy managed to live in a condemned building and charge taxpayers that it was his principal residence ... I wonder how many years these types of misdeeds have been going on unnoticed or covered up. Harper said he was going to clean up the Senate and he is doing just that .... headlines should not say scandal but HARPER CLEANING UP A GENERATION OF SENATE MISPENDING" - Nawh!! that would not make good news for the left media. Drats!!

Now I shall put my feet up in my recliner, fireplace is on and a nice glass of Merlot poured, while a silly bone the left continues to chew on continues.

The Robocall/Sona trial is looming....

waldo · November 2, 2013

Harper said he was going to clean up the Senate and he is doing just that .... headlines should not say scandal but HARPER CLEANING UP A GENERATION OF SENATE MISPENDING" - Nawh!! that would not make good news for the left media. Drats!!

so... your position holds that Harper (aka, "the Cleaner"), purposely appointed Duffy/Wallin/Brazeau to the Senate, which presumes they live in the respective provinces Harper is appointing them from..... and..... "the Cleaner" followed shortly after to clean-up their "misspending". But, but... why did "the Cleaner" appoint them in the first place? Surely not to clean-up a mess he knew they would create given their false residencies! Why... creating a mess to clean-up a mess, sounds like a Harper Conservative Action Plan!

August1991 · November 2, 2013

Delete.

Edited November 2, 2013 by August1991

jacee · November 2, 2013

Well if this is the biggest scandal committed by the Conservatives compared to the previous Liberals .. it's peanuts. As for Duffy's rebuttal, sounds like one of my kids when they were little "so & so made me do it". I wonder how Duffy managed to live in a condemned building and charge taxpayers that it was his principal residence ...

That was (Liberal Senator) Mac Harb.

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jacee · November 2, 2013

The Robocall/Sona trial is looming....

I'm curious whether Michael Sona will spill the beans on the Conservative Party's involvement in robocalls.

Also, there's the Duffy/Wright charges and possible trials to look forward to.

jacee · November 2, 2013

so... your position holds that Harper (aka, "the Cleaner"), purposely appointed Duffy/Wallin/Brazeau to the Senate, which presumes they live in the respective provinces Harper is appointing them from..... and..... "the Cleaner" followed shortly after to clean-up their "misspending". But, but... why did "the Cleaner" appoint them in the first place? Surely not to clean-up a mess he knew they would create given their false residencies! Why... creating a mess to clean-up a mess, ...

:lol:

On Guard for Thee · November 3, 2013

I'm curious whether Michael Sona will spill the beans on the Conservative Party's involvement in robocalls.

Also, there's the Duffy/Wright charges and possible trials to look forward to.

Indeed. I reckon when the RCMP finish with the Robocalls scandal investigation, Harper will be hanging his head even lower.

g_bambino · November 3, 2013

Yes that's right.

To punish them for not doing as Harper wants.

This just keeps going around in circles; we're back to the question: So what if they're removed from caucus? What, other than a card, do they lose from that?