Paul Martin’s Senate Slap Has
Been Heard Across the Nation
March 30, 2005
It’s an absolute insult on so many levels …
it’s difficult to pick where to begin. I suppose
I should start by quoting Prime Minister Paul Martin,
a.k.a. “Mr. Democratic Deficit”, who once
told Canadians, “I support a Senate that is equal
and elected.” Well, times have certainly changed,
haven’t they?
Last week, Mr. Martin managed to trump even Jean Chrétien
in the art of using the Senate of Canada as a rich source
of lucrative taxpayer-funded patronage positions with
which to reward scandal-ridden Liberal Party ‘has-beens’.
For a year-and-a-half, Mr. Dithers allowed 16 Senate
seats to sit vacant. Then he proceeded to fill nine of
the vacancies in complete contradiction to everything
he has ever said about addressing the democratic deficit,
his commitment of exactly a year ago to end patronage
appointments and his promise to end western alienation.
The worst of Mr. Martin’s latest demonstration
of disdain for democracy was felt by Albertans, whom he
slapped in the face by tossing aside their elected choices
for the Senate, Bert Brown, Betty Unger and Cliff Breitkreuz.
He instead appointed Grant Mitchell, the former leader
of the Alberta Liberal Party that Alberta voters had repeatedly
and emphatically rejected as a credible leader and representative.
Now, thanks to Mr. Martin, Albertans are forced to watch
the unwanted Mr. Mitchell parade himself as their ‘representative’
for the next 22 years, at a cost to the taxpayer of $6.84-million!
The Prime Minister said he couldn’t bring himself
to appoint elected senators-in-waiting because he didn’t
want to institute senate reform in a ‘piecemeal’
fashion. Yet, that is how an elected Senate came to be
in the United States. It began with one state and evolved
to the point that the entire U.S. Senate is comprised
of duly-elected representatives. No Meech Lake-style constitutional
battle required!
Mr. Martin also rewarded former National Defence Minister
Art Eggleton with a Senate seat. In the June election,
the loyal Mr. Eggleton stepped aside for Mr. Martin’s
hand-picked star candidate Ken Dryden. Mr. Eggleton resigned
from cabinet in disgrace after it was revealed he treated
his former girlfriend to a lucrative government contract
of highly questionable merit and quality. Now he’ll
carry his disgrace into the Upper Chamber
Mr. Martin’s final insult came with his appointment
of three so-called “opposition” Senators.
Does the Prime Minister believe Canadians are so gullible
that they’ll be fooled by his transparent political
treachery of choosing two individuals whom call themselves
Progressive Conservatives – a party that does not
exist, and another that the New Democratic Party won’t
even accept as a member?
I don’t often agree with NDP leader Jack Layton,
but I agree completely with him when he says Paul Martin
has no business deciding who can sit in the NDP or Conservative
caucuses.
The list of new senators also includes Jim Cowan from
Nova Scotia and Robert Peterson of Saskatchewan. They
reserved their guaranteed seats in the red chamber as
senior Liberal party organizers and fundraisers.
In total, these unelected, unaccountable Senators will
cost Canadian taxpayers $42-million. Along with my Conservative
Party colleagues, I will fight to ensure it costs Paul
Martin his job!
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