page 3
news
2013: a Senate odyssey
SAM MICHAELS
Staff Writer
This week, the Harper government announced
a proposal to suspend Senators Mike Duffy,
Pamela Wallin, and Patrick Brazeau. The collective cream of Canada’s political crop of incompetency, ignorance and greed, the move was
largely supported by politicians and the public,
and even spurred other Senators to begin filing
more complete tax returns (yes, this is already
part of their job anyway,
but let’s still try to appreciate the small victories).
In what can only be seen
as the inevitable next
step, Pamela Wallin has
already announced she
will be pursuing a legal
challenge to the suspension; actual quotes from
her lawyer including:
“they don’t care about
the Charter of Rights” and
“what we have here is
the equivalent of a thirdworld dictatorship.”
I could write a whole
article just about how
disgusting and insulting
it is to refer to Canada
as a third-world dictatorship. Populations around
the world are fighting
real struggles for their SENATOR PAMELA
rights, jobs, and sometimes lives. It is despicable that Wallin’s lawyer,
Terrence O’Sullivan, would belittle the socioeconomic and political situations of actual dictatorship countries by comparing the way those
governments treat member politicians to how
she has been treated. Wallin has been found
out as a liar and tax cheat, someone with little
regard for the rules. Her lawyer may have a
viable challenge based on the conventional process rules for the suspension of Senators, but his
comments are totally unacceptable.
At time of writing, it is unknown how Brazeau
and Duffy will respond, but there likely will be
some challenge to the suspension from all three
senators. The bill to suspend them still has to
pass the Senate, and when it does, Brazeau,
Duffy, and Wallin will have the opportunity to
intervene. This is on top of the legal challenge
they could bring, one based on the lack of precedent for this type of punitive action. It is, I suppose, a fair challenge given the lack of history
the obiter dicta
for this ?????????????????????????????????????????????????M????????????????????????????Q?????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????????????)?????M?????????????????????????????????)?????????)!???????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????????)????????M??????????????????????Q???????()]11%8?%8?Q!?M9Q?
!5 H??M!?eL)???????????????????????????????????????)????????????????????M???????????????????)????????????????????????????????????)??????????Q??????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????
????????????)?????????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????A?????????)?????????????M???????????????????????)M??????????????????????????!??????)
??????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????????????)???????????M???????????????????M?????????)??????????????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????????)???????????????M???????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????????=???????????????????????????????????????%???()????????????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????%?????????)????????????????????]??????????????)$?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????M???????%???????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????M???????????????)?????????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????=???????????????????????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????????????)?????????????????)?????????????????????)????????????????????)??????????????????????)??????????????????)????????????????????????????????????????)%?????????????????????)???M?????????????????)????????????????????)??????????????????)?????????]????????????)????????????????????)??? ????????]?????)??????????????????????)???M??????d??????????????%?)]??????e????????????????????)????????????????????)M???????????????????)
!9 ?MQL??????e????????????????)???????????????????)?????????????????????)?????????????????????)Q???M??????????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????????)???????????
???????????????????????)??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)???????????M????????? ????????]?????)??????????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????!????????????)????????????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????????)??????????????!????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????M??????)??????????????Q??????????????????M???????????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????$()??????????????????????((