Roundup: Six more makes a full chamber

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The final six Senate appointments have been made, all from Québec, and all were very much in the same pattern that we’ve seen to date from this government – well qualified, certainly, but without much in the way of ideological diversity, and as of yet, no new openly LGBT senators (that are very much needed). There could very well be some selection bias at play here, which is part of why asking people to apply rather than seeking to nominate people continues to be a problem, and promises of transparency would mean some kind of a statistical breakdown of the short lists presented to the PM, but one doubts that will ever happen.

Now this all having been said, the performative outrage by a number of Conservative senators is getting to be really tiresome. I am also failing to see the logic in how appointing a bunch of partisans and telling them that they are to be whipped (which no, senators are not supposed to be) is somehow preferable and “transparent” than it is to appoint a number of ideological similar individuals who aren’t assigned a party label, nor are they being told that they’re subject to a whip. It really makes no sense, particularly when there are all manner of other perfectly legitimate criticisms that can be levelled at the nomination process and the pattern that has emerged from the appointments, but to insist that it’s all a “con job” is really, really rich. It’s bad if they all vote for the PM who appointed them if they are “independent,” but it’s a-okay to vote under an illegitimate whip by the PM who appointed them so long as it’s under a party banner? Huh? (Also, to correct Senator Housakos, nothing stops any of these new senators from joining a caucus of their choice).

Meanwhile, we’re going to get more grousing about committee slots and research budgets, but honestly, that’ll work itself out within a few weeks and bellyaching won’t actually help make the process work faster or better. There is also some grumbling right now that the current crop of independent senators haven’t managed to fill the two slots per committee they’ve been allotted as is, so why give them yet more seats? It will happen, but the rules don’t really allow committee reconstitution until a prorogation anyway, so I’m not sure why there’s such a rush. Better to let the process take the time it needs rather than going too fast and ballsing it up and creating room for unintended consequence.

Good reads:

  • The Assistant PBO says that giving them the power to vet parties’ election promises will expose them to accusations of partisanship.
  • The government has committed to greening its own operations, reducing GHGs by 40 percent by 2030.
  • Bill Morneau told a Senate committee that he plans to work on tax simplification, which will mean eliminating more tax credits.
  • While the previous government promised dairy farmers compensation for signing CETA, the Liberals are promising funds to help them compete with increased competition.
  • Royal Military College is undergoing a full review after suspected suicides and reports of sexual misconduct.
  • Maryam Monsef told a Victoria town hall that she’s developing a preference around electoral reform, but won’t say what it is so as not to prejudge the committee.
  • Lisa Raitt has announced she’s in for the Conservative leadership, while Steven Blaney wants a Royal Commission on Canadian identity. No, seriously.
  • Michael Chong announced his platform policy of a revenue-neutral carbon tax in the model that BC has. (Power Play interview here).
  • Paul Wells suspects that Bill Morneau already has some international backers lined up for his Infrastructure Bank proposal.

Odds and ends:

The Lobbying Commissioner said that she won’t be seeking another term.

 

One thought on “Roundup: Six more makes a full chamber”

  1. Lisa Raitt’s announcement should signal that the conservatives have finally reached the bottom of the barrel in their quest for someone with enough vision to seriously contest Trudeau, unless Pierre Pollievre has a secret plan to walk into the convention and add his kernel of wheat to the pile of political chaff now present.

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