It seems we might be seeing more of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s elitist senate. A committee of senators think they should have their own television channel. It is just a recommendation at the moment but you never know with these things. After all, who would have believed a TV channel that does nothing but burn a yule log on an endless loop? Watching elite senators snore in their seats might be just as exciting.
But is this not the house of sober second thought designed by our Fathers of Confederation to keep us colonials from running amok? Our prime minister has gone one better. Rather than worn and tired politicos being retired to the senate’s sinecure, we now have a committee of elites choosing elites for the PM to appoint. Political has-been’s need not apply.
Like Christ chasing the money-changers from the Temple, Mr. Trudeau proclaimed that Liberal senators were no longer Liberals. He was not allowed to fire them, so he did the next best.
But now he needs more elites to appoint or the remaining politicos will start to take control. There is already a recommendation that any group of nine or more senators be able to create a caucus of their own naming. And the idea includes budgets for caucus staffs and expenses. These people do not do things by half measure.
One of the more popular caucuses could be the one called something like “Wonderful Wednesday Wonkies.” This will be drawn from among those who only show up from Tuesday to Thursday to be sure to collect their fat paycheque. They could appoint Senator Mike Duffy as their honorary chair.
We hear that the elite committee already has a bunch of names from which Justin Trudeau can pick the finest and brightest if he wishes. There have even been some names leaked to show that the elitists are on the job.
But the more serious question is whether Canadians really want this farcical approach to a second house of parliament?
It is strange having known and talked with both Pierre Trudeau and his son. They are very different. Pierre Trudeau did not understand politics at first but he learned to accept it and use it. The son takes an entirely different approach to politics, he uses it but seems to detest it. He has used the Liberal Party and has set out on a path to destroy it. He has an almost pathological fear of re-opening the Canadian constitution and has come up with this silly elitist approach that has little chance of benefiting Canadians.
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Copyright 2016 © Peter Lowry
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