After 16 months on the job, prime minister Paul Martin made his first Senate appointments March 24 and typically, most of the tickets for the Upper Chamber were reserved for Liberal loyalists who will hold the job until age 75.
Martin reserved three of the nine appointments for people he called opposition senators but opposition leaders immediately accused him of mischief. The alleged Saskatchewan New Democrat appointed to the Senate was immediately rejected by the NDP caucus and the two Progressive Conservatives were appointed to represent a political party that disappeared more than a year ago. They will not sit with the Conservative caucus.
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None of the three Alberta appointees came from the ranks of the “senators-in-waiting” selected in an unofficial vote by Albertans pushing for an elected Senate.
In the House of Commons, Conservatives accused Martin of breaking a promise to foster democracy. They called him undemocratic for playing the patronage game.
“Why does the prime minister not just come clean, treat people as if they had some intelligence, admit that he has never had and has no intention of ever bringing about meaningful Senate reform,” asked Conservative leader Stephen Harper.
Martin said his nine nominees are “outstanding Canadians” who represent both government and opposition sides.
“In terms of Senate reform, I have stated time and again I believe in Senate reform but I do not believe that it should be done in a piecemeal way,” said Martin. “It should be done in a comprehensive way dealing not only with the method of choosing senators but also dealing with the equality provisions that are required.”
Calgary Conservative MP Jason Kenney said the Senate belongs to the people rather than the Liberal government, and appointing three Alberta senators while ignoring candidates elected province-wide shows “complete contempt for Albertans and for all Canadians.”
Mauril BŽlanger, minister responsible for democratic reform, said the provinces are considering Senate reform and must be part of the process.
He repeated that one-third of the nine appointments “were to the opposition benches of the Senate. These (opposition) members should be welcoming their new members with open arms.”
That was not the first reaction.
Lillian Dyck, a University of Saskatchewan professor of neuropsychiatry and an aboriginal, was appointed as the first Senate New Democrat. Leader Jack Layton, whose party opposes the Senate, immediately said she is not a party member and will not be part of caucus.
PC senators
Ontario human rights and feminist activist Nancy Ruth, as well as former Alberta cabinet minister Elaine McCoy, were appointed as Progressive Conservatives and said they consider the Conservative party too right wing. Harper said the two are not members of the new party and will not be welcome in caucus.
Critics said the three “opposition” appointments were meant to deflect attention from the appointment of six Liberals, among them former federal minister Art Eggleton of Toronto, Martin organizer Robert Peterson from Saskatchewan, former Alberta Liberal leader Grant Mitchell, Alberta French language rights advocate Claudette Tardif, Nova Scotia Martin supporter Jim Cowan and former Canadian general and award-winning author RomŽo Dallaire.
Martin said he will fill the remaining seven Senate vacancies soon.
