Expect some drama in the Senate coming up, as a group of Senators plan to break away from their existing caucuses – a couple of Conservatives, but most of them currently sitting in the Independent Senators Group – in order to form a new caucus that will concern itself with regional representation (and I have had independent confirmation of the reporting in this story). It’s expected that the formal application will be made this morning, and then the work of organizing starts, and because there are some ten to twelve senators in this group, they will have sufficient numbers for an official caucus under the current Senate rules (and will have even more right to salaries once the Parliament of Canada Act changes that Justin Trudeau promised will go through).
While I will be writing more about this later in the day, the names on the list aren’t too much of a surprise because they haven’t necessarily been playing well with the current ISG leadership, and many have bristled with some of the heavy-handed strictures in the ISG about party membership and so on. I have definite questions about how they plan to put more focus on regional issues as part of this group, and I’ll be making some calls over the day to get some more answers, but it’s going to be a very interesting next few weeks, and Justin Trudeau come to rue the day that he kicked his senators out of his caucus in order to avoid any audit revelations and pretend it was high-minded principle.
Good reads:
- Justin Trudeau plans to meet with opposition leaders, likely next week, to start working out a path forward for the new minority parliament.
- Free speech groups are taking the government to court over the “false statements” clause of the Canada Elections Act, saying it’s ripe for abuse.
- It’s looking increasingly like the fears of foreign interference in our election were overblown. (Chalk one up for Canada being too boring to care about).
- Andrew Scheer has been meeting with defeated Conservative candidates, particularly in the GTA, to try and shore up his leadership.
- The leader of Quebec’s Green Party is considering a run to replace Elizabeth May when she steps down.
- Despite a bunch of swivel-eyed loons meeting to talk “separation” in Edmonton, experts can point to how that won’t solve the province’s problems.
- The Northwest Territories is looking at its own UNDRIP implementation legislation.
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I wonder if any of you arrogant pricks in Ottawa understand how statements like swivel eyed goons in Alberta is received? I am not part of the group but every time I read something like this it makes me hate Canada and eastern Canadian journalists more and more. I wonder if you know that most people out west consider easterners inbred welfare leeches? Do you like being called names?
Hi Pamela,
I’m an Albertan. I don’t think this group of conspiracy theorists deserves to be treated with anything approaching credibility. Because that’s what they are. Look it up.
Thanks for writing.
Their Facebook groups, subreddits and other social networks (Wexit overlaps with Yellow Vests and other conspiracy rabbit holes) are insinuating that higher-ups within the Trudeau Foundation are “grooming” Greta Thunberg in more ways than one. Rinse, repeat, “Clinton Cash” and Pizzagate. Swivel-eyed loons might be an understatement, Dale. These people are sick.
“Swivel-eyed loons”. Nice.
#tbt to when Kenney was for Wexit before it was cool.
(Narrator: It was never cool.)
So Elizabeth May has been mentioning in every interview that she wants to stay on as MP for Saanich—Gulf Islands which makes me wonder why she keeps mentioning it. She has zero connection with Saanich—Gulf Islands and she won that seat as Green Party Leader which the national party pouring resources into Saanich—Gulf Islands so wouldn’t the new leader be entitled to sit for Saanich—Gulf Islands? I mean she could resigned, the leader run in the by-election and then she’d run again in the next general election? Do the Greens want to repeat Jagmeet Singh’s aborted “Despite being the party leader I don’t need a seat in the House of Commons” routine?
I think Elizabeth May believes it’s hers, but it seems like the conflict is whether Saanich—Gulf Islands is a seat for Elizabeth May or a safe seat for the leader of the Green Party?