Last month, without any explanation, Conservative Senators voted to kill Bill C-311, the Climate Change Accountability Act. There was no debate, witnesses or study on the bill.
“Even though it was in the Senate for 193 days, not one Conservative Senator called to debate Bill C-311,” said Dr. Bennett. “This action was virtually unprecedented. Not since the 1930s has the Senate refused to at least send a bill passed by the House of Commons to a Senate committee for study.
“This is the same Prime Minister who consistently railed against the Senate, saying in 2006, ‘I’d prefer that the unelected chamber would respect the decisions of the chamber elected by the people,’” said Dr. Bennett.
“Canadians didn’t appreciate Mr Harper’s game playing the first time he put an unelected Senator in cabinet, and told him so when Mr. Fortier was defeated,” said Dr. Bennett. “Stephen Harper may think he can steal a gift-wrapped cabinet post for Larry Smith in time for the holidays, but he should think again if he expects voters to reward Mr. Smith for it at the ballot box.
“Meanwhile, Stephen Harper continues to push his right-wing agenda with the appointment of Mr. Meredith, as he must be fully aware of his view that sexual orientation is a “choice”,” she added.
Among the Conservative insiders now populating the Senate, Stephen Harper has appointed his campaign director (Doug Finley), party president (Don Plett), press secretary (Carolyn Stewart Olson), head of the Conservative Fund (Irving Gerstein), several top party bagmen and donors (Leo Housakos, Michael Fortier, David Braley) and several failed Conservative candidates (Fabian Manning, Yonah Martin, Don Meredith).
“For someone who vowed never to appoint an unelected Senator, Mr. Harper is now the all-time patronage king, having appointed 38 Conservative activists to the upper chamber,” explained Dr. Bennett.
Since taking office in 2006, Mr. Harper has appointed 38 Senators, adding to over 400 Conservative insiders stacking the Senate, courts, government boards and agencies, despite his promise to institute a public appointments commission.
“Mr. Harper campaigned on a promise not to appoint Senators and to reform the Senate,” said Dr. Bennett. “However, he has made no real effort to consult the provinces on Senate reform, and appointed more Senators in one year than any prime minister in history.
“With these latest appointments, there is nothing preventing Mr. Harper from continuing to abuse his majority in the Senate like he did with Bill C-311,” concluded Dr. Bennett.
