"Canadians from Newfoundland and Labrador to British Columbia remain ashamed of Canada`s senior legislative body. They are ashamed the Prime Minister continues the disgraceful, undemocratic appointment of undemocratic Liberals to the undemocratic Senate to pass all too often undemocratic legislation."
Stephen Harper, Hansard, March 7, 1996
"Stephen Harper will cease patronage appointments to the Senate. Only candidates elected by the people will be named to the Upper House."
Stephen Harper Leadership Website, January 15, 2004
"A conservative government will not appoint to the senate anyone who does not have a mandate from the people."
Conservative Party website during 2006 election
15 comments:
And yet, his supporters will continue to support him - unbelievable.
Harper - I don't say what I mean and I don't mean what I say.
Oh, I suppose we'll get the Libs did it first crap - but Libs never promised to be holier than thou when it comes to appointing senators and have appointed Cons and NDPs in the past - but they'll overlook that, of course.
Logically, they can't say the Lib's did it first, because they decried that.
It's hypocrisy plain and simple and his supporters are just fine with that.
The contortions they go through to defend this man are truly unbelievable.
For example, this this guy equates this garbage with reform.
Harpocrisy,
lol, good one knb!
Reform Senate or we’ll appoint Conservatives, Harper warns
October 15, 2008,
by Chris Boutet
“That said, I do not believe it is justified that the Senate would continue to be dominated by a party that did not win two consecutive elections.
So look, we are looking for the opportunity to elect senators, but if at some point it becomes clear some senators are not going to be elected, the government will name senators to ensure that the elected will of the House of Commons and the people of Canada is reflected in the Senate.”
http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/posted/archive/2008/10/15/reform-senate-or-we-ll-appoint-conservatives-harper-warns.aspx
See,knb, PMSH sent 2 bills on Senater reform, sent directly to committee.
What happened?
Quebec willing to go to court over Senate reform
"I would say that the main goal for us as for now is to stop Bill C-20,'' Pelletier told The Canadian Press.
C-20, currently under review by a House of Commons committee, would create a process for electing senators. The federal government, backed by some of the country's foremost constitutional experts, maintains the bill needs only the approval of Parliament to become law...
*LOL*
All this faux indignation coming from you Libs is quite funny.
KNB - like we didn't know that comments like Wilson and Larry weren't coming - LOL
Wilson, with the post-it PM talking points at his/her side again. LOL
wilson, the same number or more have weighed in to say that the bills were not constitutional...and the provinces aren't prepared to support them.
Bottom line, they were hollow offerings and only Harper devotees fell for them.
I can't take credit for Harpocrisy btw. Don't know who coined it, but it wasn't me.
Nothing faux about how I feel about this. Harper is the most hypocritical PM I've ever seen. It's how he operates.
Did Lib's appoint? Yes, but not after they screamed from the rooftops that they'd never do it.
Transparency, honesty, being true to his words? This PM gets an F-.
“It's unacceptable for senators [appointed] by a previous government to block the will of the people,” Mr. Harper said.
Surely he means 30% or so of right-wing goons....
My will is to kick Mr. Cannon in the nads, but so far it has not been done...
KNB, why do you think he's appointing? Doesn't seem like he's getting any help from the Liberal senate majority for any reform. What would you do?
Larry, do you not have any idea of how our Constitution works or are you being willfully obtuse?
Even if the Senate was 100% Conservative they could not reform the Senate because the Senate cannot initiate reform of itself. That initiation has to come from the sitting government, by opening up the Constitution, and Mr. Harper has had four years to just that but has refused to do so.
So this argument that Mr. Harper is stacking the Senate in order to facilitate its reform is total BS.
Of course such talking point may work on the majority of Canadians who do not have a great awareness of politics or of how our system works. However, such spin will not work here where you will usually find people who know a little something about how this country is run.
"Harpocrisy"
hmmm. Sounds campy and corny. Something you might've heard in a backwater radio station morning show back in the mid '70s. We really are embarrassing ourselves, aren't we. Let's get Iggy to talk about some issues and can this crap.
KNB, if you are worried, it might be because the Conservatives are using your own system against you to fill the senate. Within a year, some predict the senate could have a Conservative majority.
ottlib, I know exactly how the constitution works. Harper also knows the last thing anyone wants right now is another constitutional accord. The NDP premiers want to abolish the senate, the west wants triple EEE, and Ontario, Quebec and the east probably have a list too. There would be no consensus just acrimony and perhaps even separatism would rare its head again, not only in Quebec but out west. Harper is trying to do something that will keep the senate from continuing on as a patronage wonderland for political hacks. You're right, constitutionally, he probably doesn't have a chance, but he will appear to have tried to make an effort. THAT might get the ball rolling creating momentum to an actual constitutional amendment down the road.
"Within a year, some predict the senate could have a Conservative majority."
Not really Larry, Harpoon would have to stay in until mid 2011 to achieve that. That would be 2 years Mr Math.
It's hypocrisy plain and simple and his supporters are just fine with that.
The contortions they go through to defend this man are truly unbelievable.
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Not even close.
What's really unbelievable is how hardcore Liberals can spew all this drivel with a straight face. Let's review:
Prime Minister Stephen Harper (I never get tired of typing that..;) has made his position very clear over the last couple of years. Since only Alberta has taken him up on his offer of appointing provincially elected Senators, and taking no action will only result in the Liberal-dominated Senate continuing to obstruct the passage of legislation passed by the House of Commons, PMSH has been forced to take action. Early next year the Liberals will no longer be able to play partisan games with Canadian legislation...and the Senators appointed will serve terms of only 8 years (another reform that the Liberals have steadfastly refused to consider).
In short, the Senate will be reformed whether the Liberals like it or not, and it will be as close to EEE as the prime Minister can make it. Deal with it.
"Not really Larry, Harpoon would have to stay in until mid 2011 to achieve that. That would be 2 years Mr Math."
I'm just stating what was said by one commentator on the radio. Chill out.
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