Harper poised to appoint 18 Senators

[mit]

In all fairness, the Liberals wouldn't get in if more people didn't vote for them. Senators are appointed by the party in power and the Liberals have spent more time in power than have the Conservatives. The next election will probably determine which party the people want.

The party the people want? How so - 60% of voters did not choose our current ruler and 100% of voters did not choose a coalition. Perhaps we need a benevolant dictator - Ooops! I forgot we have one already - Problem is he spreads the benefits to the top and leaves the middle class to pay for it!

 

[Kreskin]

What do we expect him to do..simply complain and not participate in the governmental protocols the Liberals insist on having?

 

[mit]

I think the most hilarious thing that Harper did was appoint Fortier to the Senate so he could be in cabinet - In doing so and with the enticement of David Emerson he said to voters and his caucus - Look folks - it's quite clear to me that you voters did not give me the people that are smart enough to be in cabinet so I had to look elsewhere - He told his caucus that they were too stupid to be in cabinet - He told members of his own caucus that they had to leave because dissent was not an option and Mr Harper already had enough ideas and didn't need any more so they had to leave.
Glad he is not leading a military operation.

 

[#juan]

The party the people want? How so - 60% of voters did not choose our current ruler and 100% of voters did not choose a coalition. Perhaps we need a benevolant dictator - Ooops! I forgot we have one already - Problem is he spreads the benefits to the top and leaves the middle class to pay for it!

one hundred percent of the people voted to elect an MP who they thought would look after their interests in Ottawa. If the elected MPs form a coalition to prevent possible damage to the country, I see nothing wrong with that, but I think there should be an election within the next year.

 

[Risus]

one hundred percent of the people voted to elect an MP who they thought would look after their interests in Ottawa. If the elected MPs form a coalition to prevent possible damage to the country, I see nothing wrong with that, but I think there should be an election within the next year.

Well its a moot point now, seeing as how the coalition is dead...

 

[Risus]

Firstly - I do see it as the Liberals aren't screaming "foul" - they are pointing out that the Conservatives have for years called for an elected senate - and now are doing the exact opposite of what they themselves have been calling for.

Do you even know what hypocrisy is? It's when YOUR actions run counter to YOUR words. It is not:

When YOUR actions run counter MY words
When MY actions run counter to YOUR words.

Holding the Conservatives accountable to their words is not hypocrisy.

If Harper does not want to be a hypocrite he could
1) Call for elections for the empty seats
2) State - I will fill the seats once we can have an election for those seats
3) State = "I would like to fill them, but it will go counter to my priniciples, so I won't"

Instead he is stacking the senate while he has chance - so basically throwing his principles out the window.

You can spin it however you want, but he is sacrificing his principles for political gain.

I do not respect someone who claims principles in one instance, and his own actions undermine those principles in the next.

It is wrong when the Liberals do, it is (at least) equally wrong when Harper does it. More so for Harper - because he runs his entire government on being "better" than the Liberals - and you can't tell me he isn't doing the exact same thing as the Liberals.

Besides - claiming that the senate is "more Liberal" now because the seats haven't been filled is tripe - the Liberals "dominated" the senate before the 18 retirements - even with the appointments, the Liberals will still "dominate" the senate. appointing Senators at this time does NOTHING except expose Harper as the hypocrite he is.

pegger you are spouting nonsence.
1. You can't call for elections for the empty seats until the constitution is changed. 2. How is adding 18 Conservatives to the senate 'stacking' when the majority is still liberal? There is no political gain...

 

[mit]

one hundred percent of the people voted to elect an MP who they thought would look after their interests in Ottawa. If the elected MPs form a coalition to prevent possible damage to the country, I see nothing wrong with that, but I think there should be an election within the next year.

I agree if you rephrase that to 100% of voters not people - If more people became engaged in politics by atleast voting as their democratic right there may be some validity in our system. These political parties do not cater to those who have gave up and hence only complain not vote. All minority governments are coalition governments or they fall -

 

[Cliffy]

The next election will probably determine which party the people want.

No. The next election will be determined by the media, as always.

 

[#juan]

I agree if you rephrase that to 100% of voters not people - If more people became engaged in politics by atleast voting as their democratic right there may be some validity in our system. These political parties do not cater to those who have gave up and hence only complain not vote. All minority governments are coalition governments or they fall -

Yeah, voters.
That was a typo or something. Hell, we all used to vote.....Must be the American influence. ......;-)

 

[pegger]

pegger you are spouting nonsence.
1. You can't call for elections for the empty seats until the constitution is changed. 2. How is adding 18 Conservatives to the senate 'stacking' when the majority is still liberal? There is no political gain...

Then why do it? There is no reason to do it. It won't make one iota of difference if he doesn't fill them - in fact, it will make him look like a bigger man if he doesn't - and the Libs get in and fill those seats. In fact - then Harper can (righteously) stand and spout about how the Liberals use government to ensure their "entitlements," while he defended his principles and refused to appoint for the sake of "filling" those positions with Conservative partisans (and adding the cost to government).

The only thing it does is allow him to put his cronies in, and sink to the "Liberal" level. Which really means (to me) that he is only interested in reforming the senate - so long as it is in his best interests. How about doing what is best for the country for a change.

 

[Tyr]

Colpy there is one other way to look at this. Has anyone heard that the Senate was not operating properly because of being 18 members short? Have Canadians suffered because the senate was underpopulated? Since the senate will still be mostly liberals, what the hell good does it do to spend another $2,340,000.00? Hypocracy, your name is Harper.

Since when has Harper made good on his promises? Remember "We will not run a deficit"

He cuts political party funding "in the interests of the taxpayer" and now is going to add more than 2 million (not counting yrs of pensions.) to the taxpayers load. He's a hypocrite or incredibly inept..... I'll go with both

Some of the people he's considering

Michelle Jean (he'll keep a seat warm for her after her letting him dissolve parliment)

Don Cherry

Mike Duffy


um. What would be their particular benefit to the senate?

 

[#juan]

The Liberals have a far better record for appointing oppostion senators than the Conservatives.

 

[Tyr]

The next election will probably determine which party the people want.

No. The next election will be determined by the media, as always.

Shhh. Nobody likes to admit that they are lead around by the nose by media bias (especially such intelligent political pundits as the Canadian electorate)

 

[Kreskin]

But this is what the majority of parliamentarians want - a cronie stacked senate. He's just doing what has to be done so that it's not just a liberal playground.

 

[Tyr]

But this is what the majority of parliamentarians want - a cronie stacked senate. He's just doing what has to be done so that it's not just a liberal playground.

It's a Kronie Kindergarten irregardless of political party. It should be abolished

 

[Risus]

The Liberals have a far better record for appointing oppostion senators than the Conservatives.

Please back up this comment with facts....

 

[Risus]

Since when has Harper made good on his promises? Remember "We will not run a deficit"

He cuts political party funding "in the interests of the taxpayer" and now is going to add more than 2 million (not counting yrs of pensions.) to the taxpayers load. He's a hypocrite or incredibly inept..... I'll go with both

Some of the people he's considering

Michelle Jean (he'll keep a seat warm for her after her letting him dissolve parliment)

Don Cherry

Mike Duffy


um. What would be their particular benefit to the senate?

Um do you want a deficit or living on the streats with a crappy economy.

Party funding hasn't been cut. Thats what started this mess.

Seams to me the libs put in jean beliveau for one. Anyway, whats your point??

 

[#juan]

Please back up this comment with facts....

Like you ever back up any of your nonsense.

List of Canadian Senate appointments by Prime Minister - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Colpy]

Since when has Harper made good on his promises? Remember "We will not run a deficit"

He cuts political party funding "in the interests of the taxpayer" and now is going to add more than 2 million (not counting yrs of pensions.) to the taxpayers load. He's a hypocrite or incredibly inept..... I'll go with both

Some of the people he's considering

Michelle Jean (he'll keep a seat warm for her after her letting him dissolve parliment)

Don Cherry

Mike Duffy


um. What would be their particular benefit to the senate?

So, Harper introduced an economic update that didn't have a deficit......and all the lefty parties used it as an excuse to try and throw him out.

Make up your bloody minds.

Notice I said "an excuse" to throw him out. The real reason is that he tried to pull the suckling libs off the public teat.....an act that was well past due.

I'm pissed at Harper.....because he backed off. He should have stood his ground, lost the confidence motion, gone to Michelle Jean and asked for disolution........it would have been a win-win.........either she disolves Parliament, (as one can believe she might have, as she prorogued it) and Harper wins a majority running against the Seperatists and their appeasers........or he sits out for awhile, while the coalition wears the blame for the bad economy, and it becomes very obvious to the Nation that Gilles is the Puppeteer.......resulting in a CPC majority down the line (18 months?)

But he paniced.

 

[Risus]

Like you ever back up any of your nonsense.

List of Canadian Senate appointments by Prime Minister - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Well can't figure out your pitiful math:

Liberal PMs
Trudeau. 7 Conservatives appointed
St. Laurent, 1 Conservative appointed

Conservative PMs
Meighen, 1 liberal appionted
Borden, 3 liberals appointed
MacDonald, 10 liberals appointed


Hmmmm, thats 14 vs 8......