Alberta has a new senator, one who enters the upper house without the election that provincial politicians demanded.
Thelma Chalifoux, a 68-year-old MŽtis activist from Morinville, was appointed by prime minister Jean ChrŽtien to fill a Senate seat left vacant when former Conservative senator Walter Twinn recently died.
She raised seven children as a single parent and has been active in native housing issues and education, including a stint as a Peace River radio broadcaster.
In making the appointment, ChrŽtien ignored calls for Albertans to have a vote.
Read Also
Russian wheat exports start to pick up the pace
Russia has had a slow start for its 2025-26 wheat export program, but the pace is starting to pick up and that is a bearish factor for prices.
It drew outraged reaction from the Reform party, which advocates an elected Senate. They were careful to criticize the process, rather than the new senator.
“The premier of Alberta wanted an election, the Liberal leader in Alberta wanted an election, the people of Alberta wanted an election,” said Edmonton Reform MP Rahim Jaffer. “Why did the prime minister deliberately ignore the wishes of Albertans by appointing another senator for Alberta?”
A response by deputy prime minister Herb Gray that ChrŽtien simply was following the law and fulfilling his constitutional duty sparked an angry retort from Jaffer.
He noted that Albertans voted in 1990 to elect Reform senator Stan Waters and eventually, a reluctant prime minister Brian Mulroney appointed him.
So it is not unconstitutional to elect a senator, said the rookie MP.
Liberals tried to suggest Reform’s attacks were disrespectful to a respected MŽtis leader.
But Reformers insisted they were not attacking the qualifications of the new senator, but the undemocratic nature of her selection.
They had no such qualms about attacking the other Senate appointment announced by ChrŽtien.
Former Liberal MP and cabinet minister Serge Joyal, 52, also received the appointment that will pay him $64,400 per year plus more than $10,000 a year in expenses for the next 23 years.
Government contracts
Reform noted that Joyal, defeated in 1984, has been receiving a pension of more than $36,000 since his electoral defeat, plus close to $100,000 worth of contracts from the government since the Liberals returned to power in 1993.
“Joyal has been a lifelong Liberal who spent his career at the Liberal trough at taxpayer’s expense,” said Reform Senate critic Bill Gilmour. “Joyal received the ultimate pay-off, an appointment for life to Sleepy Hollow.”
The appointment is to age 75.
