WOW! What a Christmas gift for the new appointees! I am sure they would like to thank all the taxpayers for this boonfall but are probably having to much fun at our expense.

I though the appointment of Pamela Wallen and Mike Duffey was very interesting. They are certainly two people that know their way around Parliament Hill.

They show up every day to punch their time cards and work feverishly on our behalf! They make sure that our Parliament runs like a well-oiled machine and that all the election promises are kept all the time, no matter who made them! They are wise, non-partisan and without their vigilant oversight our whole democracy would come to a complete halt.

Their pay should be doubled and their retirement age should be raised to 105 unless they work themselves into an early grave, whatever comes first!

Mush, mush, you little dogies! HiHo Silver!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

P.S.:

(Is the senator who for many years - until it was discovered - actually lived full time in Mexico and showed up only two or three times a year to actually attend still in the Senate?).

diplomat-- that senator is putting the finshing touches on his acceptance speech for the Order of Canada.

If nothing good ever comes out of this mess,at least there are a lot more naive voters who now know the truth about canadian politicians and our badly broken political system.
It's all about money and power and not much else.
What is good for Canada comes second after themselves!
A revolution sounds better everyday!
Merry Xmas all!

I think that huge bag behind Santa Steve is full of coals!

Order of Canada, eh? Well deserved, mate!

If I would take any of these senate gravy train shenanigans serious I would get a mental hernia!

Monty Python would have loved this!

Happy Holidays!

What's everybody crying about? These Senators would be appointed one way or the other. Either Steven Harper does it or the next government would have. If you don't like it support the Conservatives in their effort to reform the Senate.

How many of you were whining when all the Liberals were appointed over the years ?Get in touch with reality people...those Liberal Senators have been screwing the Canadian taxpayers for years.

Here is some more *whining*: Liberals never made a promise that senators should be elected rather than appointed.

Harper's whole political career is full of solemn promises that senators would be elected rather appointed if he was the Prime Minister.

Whining or not, the fact is that most politicians break their promises when it is convenient. Harper said that he was not going to be one of those. Well, he is.

I would never support the Conservatives again in anything they do, especially if they don't do what they promised to do.

Voter's choice. Sniff, sniff.

Diplomat, how do you suggest that we elect our senators when we can't? Until one government or the other changes the law and allows us to vote on senators we can't. The only government I've ever heard talk about changing this is the Conservatives. The Liberals have no interest in a more democratic Canada. So until the day comes when the Conservatives can pass a bill making the senate an elected institution I support them appointing senators.

If you don't like it support the Conservatives in their effort to reform the Senate.

Support the conservative, never, over my dead body, maybe. I love Iggy and that will never change for me.

We are just going around circles over the senate issue.There is not a politician out there that is willing to solve the problem and that is get rid of the oldmans club.

Cheers

If a promise has been made to ELECT senators the promise must be kept. Or, the seats can remain empty, no harm done. What is the advantage about that? Silly question, it is the honourable thing to do, namely to keep a solemn promise and retain respect of the citizens.

Does honourable behaviour not pay off anymore in Canadian politics? Obviously not. If it is more convenient to take the low road instead - by all means, let's take it.

So what if the Liberals (if they win the next election) fill the seats by appointing new senators. It wouldn't be the end of the world.

Abolish the oldmans club! Sure, great idea. If it is are already semi-dysfunctional why endorse its continuous existence by appointing 18 more reindeer to the semi-comatose club?

I think the ball was dropped on this one.

"If it is are already semi-dysfunctional .."
should read: "If it is already dysfunctional..."

Some people claim that it is in fact superfluous already.

Actually the canadian people are to blame.

You voted the Conservatives in.

Clean, that's a fairly ignorant comment. Did the Conservatives start the tradition of appointing senators? I guess the problem with Canada is their are so many people ignorant of how it's political system works.

Now Diplomat you say keep the seats empty, no harm done. Tell me this, how do the Conservatives pass an unpopular bill like senate reform through a Liberal dominated senate when the Liberals are against it? You expect the Conservatives to keep thier promise but you don't expect them to use the tools available to them.

It amazes me how LIberals claim to be forward thinking progressive people, but they want to keep us in the dark age with our political system.

RUEZ, I think your comment isn't very well thought out at all. Since senators were never elected it is more fair to say that all parties accepted the system as is since it was begun without showing any determined desire to change it...until the Reform party officially made it a priority to make it more democratic.

Since Harper is so good at breaking solemn promises why do you think that I should believe his promise that he would reform the Senate once he has a majority of Conservative senators there?

Perhaps circumstances will change and he will ditch this promise if it is politically more convenient...and remember, those senators would not vote to put their appointments to an open vote if they can do something to prevent that.

They may not be elected and there goes the well paying gravy train.