Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Saturday, January 07, 2012

NDP slams seven new senators as ‘hand puppets of the PMO’

A police chief, obstetrician and former Conservative MP are among the latest string of seven new appointees to the Senate – a list the NDP has denounced as “hand puppets for the PMO.”

Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued a news release late Friday announcing Norman Doyle, a former Conservative MP from Newfoundland, and Ghislain Maltais, a former Liberal member of the Quebec national assembly who worked for the Conservative Party of Canada since 2006, including as the party’s Quebec director, will take seats in the red chamber.

Senators earn an annual salary of $132,300, with add-ons for special positions.

Vernon White, who served as chief of Ottawa Police Service since May 2007 and worked with the RCMP for more than 20 years, will join Dr. Asha Seth, an obstetrician and gynecologist from Toronto, as new senators representing Ontario. JoAnne Buth, president of the Canola Council of Canada, was named for Manitoba.

Betty Unger, a nurse and businesswoman from Alberta, becomes the second elected senator, joining Bert Brown who is also from Alberta. Jean-Guy Dagenais, a former peace officer with the Sûreté du Québec and an unsuccessful Conservative candidate, will fill an empty seat for Quebec.

“I am pleased to announce the addition of seven remarkable Canadians to the Senate of Canada,” Harper said in a statement. “All appointees have distinguished themselves in their fields of endeavour and in their service to fellow citizens.”

All new appointees have pledged their support for the government’s efforts to make the Senate more “democratic and accountable,” including legislation to limit term lengths, Harper said.

But NDP MP and ethics critic Charlie Angus slammed the appointments as patronage at its worst by cronies who have won a “cash-for-life lottery.”

“Stephen Harper told us all he was going to clean it up — clean up the Senate and clean up the patronage,” he told iPolitics. “But he loves the trough, and he’s filling it with people who have no business being in the senate other than their CV shows they’re failed Conservative candidates, Conservative contributors, Conservative organizers. This is not democratic reform — I think this is an insult.”

Angus said the Harper government has become increasingly disconnected from the public since taking office, and believes that Canadians see that the Conservatives will do anything to help their political friends. A stacked Conservative Senate and a majority in the House of Commons is bad news for legislation, he said.

“These are not legislators, they’re hand puppets of the PMO,” he said. “Their licence to be there is the fact they flip pancakes at Conservative fundraisers. The senate has always been a dumping ground for party hacks, which is the main reason it should be abolished. But under Harper, they’ve really taken it to a new level.”

White, who was rumoured to be in the running for the RCMP commissioner’s position ultimately filled by Bob Paulson, was praised by Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson as a “community builder” who worked tirelessly to improve the safety of citizens.

Original Article
Source: iPolitico 

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