Posts: 8533
Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2011 1:57 pm
Canada's senate is so different than yours though. For one thing, even though we have a smaller population, and a smaller lower House than you, our upper house is larger by 5 Senators. Furthermore, they don't hve to campaign ever, and can't be turfed until they're 75 at which point it's automatic. Harper wants to institute an 8-year limit but that really wouldn't accomplish anything except for allowing an 8-year government to have named 100% of the senate. Harper has now managed to get an outright majority in the Senate by the normal route of filling retirees' vacancies, and after only 5 years. That "reform" is just smoke and mirrors.
But as Layton says, what he's done with his appointments, Mike Duffy in particular, is put somebody, paid on the taxpayer's dime, in a position to be responsible for nothing but selling his message and occasionally torpedoing opposition-led private members' bills.
It's a sad day when Layton is the voice of reason.
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