Mulcair and Harper get feisty on Senate reform

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair and Prime Minister Stephen Harper are at their most free-wheeling this week when they're challenging each other on Senate reform. In what's become a staple of Question Period over the past few days, the two party leaders accused each other of not committing to true reform of the upper chamber.

[vonreich]

Mulcair is the real solution for whats happening to canada

[paulm]

Posturing, pure and simple.  Both are barking, but neither are doing anything.  They work well together, don't they.  What was that about "elected" senate?  He's been stacking it with appointments for the past 7 years.

[JORDONDAVE]

This is Harpers record so far:

-Harper spends almost $700, 000 of tax payers dollars on appeals against war veterans right for long term disability payments over lump sum payment.

-Cutting more than a 100, 000 post office working jobs to fulfill multi million dollar contracts to CEOs and executives of Canada Post appointed by the Harper caucus  


- more than 16 war veterans had already taken their own lives while living in Canada as a result of closing down war veterans offices all across Canada.

- more than 30 MPs within the senate between the Liberals and PC caucus are being investigated by the auditor general of misspending tax payers money.


- spends 1.3 million dollars of tax payers dollars on the many appeals of long term sickness benefits for single mothers


-Cuts 32 billion dollars on health care resulting to longer wait times with the fewest doctors and nurses to work in Canada

- wants income splitting where middle income earners pay more taxes to relieve taxes to the wealthy elite


- sending more than 3, 000 automobile jobs from Canada to Mexico for cheaper labour and more expected to come since he's signing free trade agreements with countries who are taking more of Canada's resources than we are getting from them

-an advocate against medical marijuana since pharmaceutical companies contribute lots of money to PC campaign contributions

- one of few world leaders who did not sign Kyoto deal to cut green house gases


-took whales out of the endangered species list for more oil


-dictate and censor findings of Canadian scientists coming to the general public 


- cuts to meat and health inspections of Canada food resorting to killing livestock in Alberta meat industry

[TheAllandehaan]

Wow nice language, I think I am with you on this one.

[shawnmcdonald]

Lol, just looking at some previous comments, I love seeing Liberal Key Board Warriors get all pissy! Makes me laugh!!!

[kwidnunc]

I hope the Senate isn't reformed. I like having a component of Parliament that isn't subject to this blatant partisan bickering to foster support from a generally uninformed populace.
The House has the clear majority of power. The Senate is like a safety net to stop any unwise populist movements that could harm the nation.
Both the House and Senate have their flaws but I think they balance out each other.

[oldjohnboy]

I thought he said he wants the senate abolished... what is harper talking about?

[kwidnunc]

thanks for your deep and well-thought-out replies

[TheBoobiesmith]

I want to go to a a question period. I'll bring pop corn.

[smokenbudesq]

time to get some honest regular people in there that are qualified to run a country
and take back our media
FIRE THEM ALL OF THEM

[alexanderdelorme]

Harper, against putting your own pals into the Senate? What a hypocrite

[StephenAndrew]

"Wain! My minimum payment on my student loan is so large I barely have enough spending money to buy marijuana and ecstasy at the end of the month. I hate my McJob and that's somehow my government's fault for some reason. Wain!"

[kwidnunc]

If it means that you or someone like you has absolutely no chance of becoming a senator, I'll stick with the current system.

[cicook]

kinda funny how harper has appointed his own senate now huh??? liar!!

[StephenAndrew]

Do you understand why the N.D.P. has no seats? The NDP has never formed the federal government and they're never going to if you're lucky. That's why they're being sassy little bean counters about everything. Only the Governor General and the Queen of England have the option to appoint Canadian Senators and they exclusively do this based on the advice given to them by the Prime Minister, not the opposition. Understand?

[AlexaLeee]

Harper is such a confused little man. Don't speak for Canadians buddy, speak for yourself.