Canada PoliticsStephen Harper should be held accountable for Senate scandals
On Friday, Senator Pamela Wallin excused herself from the Conservative caucus becoming the third scandal-plagued Tory Senator to be pushed out in recent months.
According to Post Media News, Stephen Harper is "losing his patience" at the ongoing tumult.
Cue the cheesy 1980s sitcom laugh track.
Harper is the one who handpicked the three maligned senators — Wallin, Mike Duffy, and Patrick Brazeau — not because of their service to community or intellect but for their loyal partisanship.
What the heck did he expect? It's time that he takes responsibility for the senate shenanigans.
[ Related: Sen. Pamela Wallin, target of expense audit, latest to leave Conservative caucus ]
Ironically, for much of his adult life, Harper spent a lot of time publicly slamming the red chamber.
We've all heard his quotes. The Regina Leader-Post's Murray Mandryk recently did a masterful job summarizing them.
...[the] same Reform MP/opposition leader Stephen Harper who told then-Liberal prime minister Jean Chretien that "we don't support any Senate appointments", called the Senate a "dumping ground for the favoured cronies of the prime minister" and said "Canadians ... are ashamed the prime minister continues the disgraceful, undemocratic appointment of undemocratic Liberals to the undemocratic Senate to pass all-too-often undemocratic legislation."
Sadly, when Harper became prime minister, he continued the "disgraceful, undemocratic appointments" this time with "undemocratic" Conservatives. To date, 58 in total.
As explained by The Hill Times, he's appointed several former party staffers:
- Doug Finley: National campaign director in 2006 and 2008
- Don Plett: Former President of Conservative Party Council
- Carolyn Stewart Olsen: Former press secretary to the prime minister
- Stephen Greene: Former chief of staff to Preston Manning
- Irving Gerstein: The Conservative Party's chief fundraiser
He has also appointed failed Conservative candidates such as Claude Carignan, Josee Verner and Larry Smith.
He's appointed visible minority candidates who seem to be expected to fundraise for the party within the ethnic communities.
There's David Braley who, interestingly, donated $30,000 to Stephen Harper's leadership campaign in 2004.
And then, of course there's Mike Duffy and Pamela Wallin. Some suggest that Duffy was chosen as a reward for publicly shaming then Liberal leader Stephane during the 2008 election.
Wallin, like Duffy, is an active fundraiser for the party.
[ Related: Mike Duffy may now be investigated for double-dipping amid growing anti-Senate sentiment ]
The Harper gang initially argued that they made those appointments because their minority government needed a majority in the Senate.
Since earning their majority, they have introduced Senate reform legislation and recently have asked the Supreme Court for clarification on what is required to reform or abolish the Senate.
In the meantime — since earning their majority in both houses — Harper has continued rewarding Tory insiders and contributors with Senate jobs.
He had a choice. He didn't have to appoint a cadre of failed candidates, party donors and friendly media.
He could have found another way: How about setting up an independent committee to appoint senators? Or, at the very least, introduce a patronage watchdog.
[ Pulse of Canada: Should Mike Duffy quit the Senate? ]
If you are a leader in the business world, you are judged on your personnel decisions. If you hire some duds, it reflects badly on you.
If the people you bring-in keep messing up, you're the one who is responsible and at some point it will cost you your job.
Political leaders should face the same scrutiny. Maybe it's time for Stephen Harper to take responsibility for his Senate 'hires.'
Are you a politics junkie?
Follow @politicalpoints on Twitter!
