Scott's DiaTribes: Killing the Senate requires the Constitution to be opened as well

My Premier, Dalton Mcguinty, has been long on the record that he is for killing the Senate, rather then reforming it, and he reinforced that with another statement to that effect in response to Harper’s proposed Senate reforms. He is joined in that belief by the Nova Scotia Premier, and both of them are in agreement with the federal NDP, who have long advocated that position.

The problem of course with calling for the abolition of the Senate is the same potential roadblock that faces changing the Senate to an elected body (notwithstanding Harper’s attempts to sidestep it, and Quebec appears ready to take the Feds to court […]

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Scott's DiaTribes: Hudak’s Harris-like approach

In case you missed it, the Ontario Progressive Conservative party had a convention this weekend. There was a lot of, shall we say, extraneous stuff that was going on that distracted from this event, but you shouldn’t let the amusement of a wayward Blackberry from a PC candidate and an even more tortured explanation from Tim Hudak’s officials get in the way of other things that was going on there.

There are some questions about Hudak’s policy financial shortfalls and where he’s going to make up the money to pay for what he’s offering Ontario for electing him. What most concerns me though is stuff like this coming out […]

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Scott's DiaTribes: Poll: majority of Canadians support constitutional talks to reform Senate

It seems a new poll is out that says Canadians are more then willing right now to re-open the Constitution to do such things as Senate reform:

After almost two decades of constitutional peace, Harris-Decima survey conducted for The Canadian Press indicates a majority is now willing to risk re-opening the constitutional can of worms to accomplish some specific goals…For instance, 61 per cent said they’re prepared to re-open the Constitution to reform or abolish the appointed Senate. And 58 per cent said they’re willing to offer constitutional amendments in a bid to finally secure Quebec’s signature on the Constitution. Fifty-eight per cent also said they’re willing to open […]

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Scott's DiaTribes: Liberal leadership stuff

Briefly this AM, a few thoughts on the state of the Liberal Party:

1) I think the choice of Bob Rae as interim leader is a good choice – the only choice really. He is an experienced parliamentarian and former Premier who will be capable at this rather thankless job.

2) I’m not particularly happy that the only choices for the Liberal Party delegates is to either have an election for a new permanent leader in 5 months – or 18-21 months from now. I would have preferred a “third option” of somewhere in between. That said, if those are the 2 choices, I’d have to reluctantly choose […]

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Scott's DiaTribes: A weak argument

On this holiday Monday for most people, I was going to take a crack at Jason Kenney’s ridiculous assertion about how Senate reform could be achieved by the provinces magically holding elections, but I see BCL has already beaten me to it, so go read him and one of the problems he sees with […]

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