There’s a charm offensive in the works, led by the Government Leader in the Senate – err, “government representative,” Senator Peter Harder, and his staff, to try and showcase how they’re transforming the Senate. In a profile piece of the “Government Representative Office” for the Hill Times, the three members of the office gave lovely little explanations of their duties, and how they’re doing things differently, like Senator Mitchell talking about how he doesn’t have a caucus to whip, so he’s focused on counting votes for upcoming bills, and arranging briefings and such. Bless.

What didn’t get answered in the piece is just why Harder needs his $1.5 million budget, since he isn’t managing a caucus, he isn’t doing his job of negotiating with other caucus groups for the passage of bills, he isn’t doing any heavy lifting in terms of sponsoring bills on behalf of the government, and as we saw during one of his melodramatic moments in the spring, doesn’t appear to be counting votes either. So why he needs that big of a budget, and that many staff, remains a mystery that has gone unsolved. Harder also remained evasive as to just how often he meets with Cabinet, which continues to be problematic because he’s supposed to be the link between the Chamber and the Cabinet, where Senators can find accountability for the actions of the government (which is why he’s supposed to be a full-blown Cabinet minister and not just a member of Privy Council). They did say that he wasn’t at the recent Cabinet retreat, which raises yet more questions, especially when it comes to how he plans to get their priorities through the Chamber as the Order Paper in the Senate is full, and he’s been in no mood to negotiate timelines (which I know for a fact that other caucus groups are willing to do).

Part of the problem with this charm offensive is that it’s preying on the lack of knowledge that members of the media have with how the Senate works, so they don’t know how things have and have not changed – and for the most part, the only thing that has changed are the fact that Harder and company insist on renaming everything and not doing the jobs they’re supposed to be doing, shifting that burden to the other players in Senate leadership. My other worry is that this is the first stage in the push to start making changes like the demand for a business committee, which would have a hugely detrimental effect on the Chamber and its operations. And I would caution any journalists reading to beware of what Harder plans to propose, and how he plans to charm other journalists into writing feel-good stories about his planned rule changes without understanding how they will damage the Senate.

Good reads:

• At the UN, Justin Trudeau voiced concerns over Venzuela, and mused that Parliament may debate stripping Aung San Suu Kyi of her honorary citizenship.
• Trudeau also said that getting a Security Council seat isn’t an end to itself but a means to an end in advancing democracy and human rights.
• Also at the UN, Donald Trump claimed he cancelled a meeting with Canada (that didn’t exist), and insulted our NAFTA negotiators and threatened more tariffs.
• There is some speculation as to whether Canada’s trade relationship with China could be having an effect on NAFTA talks.
• The government also announced five additional weeks of parental leave, but only if both parents take it together, as a means of advancing gender equality.
• After yesterday’s QP meltdown over Tori Stafford’s killer, Tony Clement warned that it could lead to vigilantism; a review of the case has been ordered.
• Here’s some more about the healing lodge that Stafford’s killer is being transferred to.
• There are concerns about the use of deep learning tools in screening immigration files, with critics saying it could breach human rights.
• The government announced regulatory changes designed to help eliminate false positives on the No Fly List.
• The NEB panel members overseeing the Trans Mountain expansion environmental assessment were named, and construction might resume next year.
• Soldiers in the Canadian Forces are now allowed to grow (neatly trimmed) beards, but no hipster beards allowed.
• Here is more of that study on carbon prices and how Canadians under the federal backstop could come out ahead.
• There’s a bit of damage control from Rideau Hall, as Her Excellency Julie Payette gives a TV interview to defend herself and her conduct.
• This as Payette’s attendance at the Governor General’s History Awards is question.
• Here’s a look at how the New Brunswick election is playing out on the federal scene.
• Colby Cosh muses more about the problem of Aung San Suu Kyi and her honorary Canadian citizenship.
• My column looks at Andrew Scheer’s proposals for the Trans Mountain pipeline, and why they’re unlikely to work and could actually make things worse in the long run.

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