If the Senate sees an abuse of executive power, said Senator Lowell Murray (ON) today, then it is honour bound to respond.  Ignoring deeply held, divisive differences of opinion on important legislative proposals is an abuse of power.  Something like 430 pages of Bill C-10, the Budget Implemenatation Act, do just that. The other 100 pages establish an $18 billion economic stimulus package that we all agree is badly needed.  What, therefore, should we do?

Simple, said Senator Murray. 

(a)        Fast track the stimulus package.  If we do that, Royal Assent could be granted no later than March 13, almost three weeks faster than even Mr. Flaherty has requested.   

(b)        Give ourselves time to listen to Canadians on the other 430 pages, which deal with a number of important legislative proposals including the Navigable Waters Prevention Act, the Competition Act, the Investment Canada Act, the National Securities Regulator and the Public Service Equitable Compensation Act (pay equity). 

Several senators, myself included, spoke in favour of this approach. We took our first step to put it into play by immediately referring Bill C-10 to committee, which gets the ball rolling.  Stay tuned for further developments next week.

Unfortunately this is like breathing in a room full of poisonous gas: you must and can breath but the act of breathing will kill you.

So here the bill is passed but the passing of the bill will have enormous reprocussions: not as dramatic as death by poison gas, but it is the erosion of democratic rights, the loss of public control over our environment, and the loss of engagement in general by the public who when finally pressed to directly affect the views of their parliamentarians find in the end, it all falls of selectively deaf ears.

What a travesty: lets go watch hockey, have a doughnut and coffee,

all boredom amused, all anxiety.. tranquilized.

Here, here!  This is absolutely the responsible thing to do.  Let's hope the Senate does not give in to what amounts to little more than 'peer pressure'. 

This sounds like a good idea, what isthe chance that this will work? Can the Senate do anything to hold the government accountable for this spending?

Senator Murray's approach sounds eminently sensible.  My particular concern with this package is the Navigable Waters Prevention Act, but it is obvious that this bill impacts a broad swath of public policy, much of which deserves careful consideration, as is the Senate's role.  Alas, I fear the government's driing concer is not urgency of action onthe economy as much as an opportunity to ram through a bunch of their pet projects for poliical friends.

In the years ahead we are going to witness a decline in newspaper coverage of parliamentary issues simply because of the loss and reach of newspapers. I got bounced into this issue from the Sierra Club US who bounced the Canadian issue onto me. Omnibus bills take us no where... they are generally a steamroller. The Senate needs a CP link on websites like this... so reporters can 'don't leave home without it'. CBC is a cloisterer of news junkies and Private Radio is plugged into Amerimedia Inc. We kid ourselves should we think our information is always on top of what needs to be known. Maybe Elaine should launch a Hippocket Hillabaloos... to make sure the Commoners haven't gone to sheep.

"Keep you hands on the Plough and off the Senate"

I am continuoulsy surprised when Stephen Harper acts surprised that the Senate will not just pass his legislation blindly given the majority of members are not his cronies. Sure, Hugh Segal and Mike Duffy are there but most members are Liberals and independents. The Senate has a job to do and I for one am glad its doing it.

Thank you Senator, and all the others in the upper chamber that support this move. It is almost impossible for the opposition to stop this nonsense without precipitating another election which, despite the abuse of power being perpetrated, we cannot afford at this time.

Way to go, senators!   Let's hope you keep up the momentum all the way.