______________________________________________
“To take power that doesn't rightfully
belong to them to kill a bill that has been
adopted by a majority of the House of Commons
representing a majority of Canadians is as wrong
as it gets when it comes to democracy in this country.”
Jack Layton, NDP Leader
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If there ever was proof that the Conservatives were a bunch of two faced hypocrites, Harper's stacked Canadian Senate snap vote to kill the Climate Change Accountability Act is it.
In yet another disgusting display of arrogance and loathing for Canadian democracy the Senate deceitfully killed a bill that had the support of the majority of the House of Commons. So much for targets to bring greenhouse gas emissions 25 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020, and to set a long-term target to bring emissions 80 per cent below 1990 levels by 2050.
I should point out that the bill passed 43 to 32 because 15 Liberal Senators were AWOL!
Just for the record, here is a quote from opposition leader Stephen Harper:
"“I hope that better judgment will prevail and the unelected Senate will play the role that historically it has played, which has been a useful technical role but will not try and interfere with the democratic will of the elected House.”
So much for democracy.
So much for a commitment to reducing greenhouse emissions.
So much for Canada's reputation on the world stage.
For more on this disgraceful, premeditated attack on democracy and responsible environmentalism check out this story by the Globe and Mail's Gloria Galloway.
10 comments:
I'm not defending Harper here by any means... but how is this his fault when it was a group of Liberal Senators who didn't bother to show up for work?
We can have a more general Senate debate at another time :)
You beat me to it Jay. If senators don't even bother to show up to do their jobs, what's the sense of having them there? If the Liberal appointed senators had been doing what we pay them to do (and quite generously at that) this never would have happened. Blaming Harper is nothing but a deflection from the real issue.
Stop the gravy train
Deflection of the issue. The Senate killed the bill. The Conservatives promised never to use the senate that way.
The Conservatives took advantage of the numbers to quash the Bill passed by the people elected in this country. No deflection.
No argument from me on the sleeping liberal senators.
Deflection of the issue. The Senate killed the bill. The Conservatives promised never to use the senate that way.
The Conservatives took advantage of the numbers to quash the Bill passed by the people elected in this country. No deflection.
No argument from me on the sleeping liberal senators.
If we pay Liberal Senators to show up, what do we pay Danny's MHAs to do?
This whining about the Senate is comical. Where was all the wailing and gnashing of teeth about the state of our democracy when the Senate was dominated by legions of Chretien- appointed Liberals, hmmm?
At least during those years the trough feeders bothered to show up for work.
I was critical of unelected liberal senators doing the same thing. The Reform based Alliance that created the current Conservative Party promised change and in reality is offering more of the same.
More reasons to trust a party of hypocrites.
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I must say, I agree with the senate's squashing of the bill.
I am surprised that no one has called Fabian Manning to task on that vote. He was rejected as a representative of the people as a Member of the House of Commons in a general election. trounced out of office for turning his back on the voters but is appointed to the senate where he gets to vote down laws passed by legitimate folks like Scott Andrews who was elected. Shameful stuff!
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