Dissension In the Ranks

"Justin Trudeau has no authority or authorization to determine my status in the chamber. I determine that."
Liberal Senator George Furey

"Mr. Trudeau removed me from the Liberal caucus. He didn't remove me from the Liberal party."
Senator Terry Mercer, former Liberal party president

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday, January 30, 2014

"We have to look at the whole issue of how public funds are expended in the Senate -- completely; opposition, government, the whole thing. This is uncharted."
Conservative Senator Marjory LeBreton

Certainly seems as though Justin Trudeau, dauntless leader of the Liberal Party of Canada has stirred up a senior Liberal hornet's nest; Liberals appointed to the Senate by previous Liberal leaders, including his father Pierre Trudeau, to sit as distinguished elder statesmen to exercise the wisdom of political experience in vetting government legislation, are clearly not enchanted by this move to disown them and set them aside from caucus.

They are what they are, they insist. Justin Trudeau, lump it. Cut loose from the Liberal party, refused the normalcy in political heritage of taking full part in the proceedings of the party they have worked all their lives to advance, the opposite is also true. If they are to consider themselves independent from the Liberal party of Members of Parliament who have been elected to office, they can no longer be bullied into submission.

Justin Trudeau listened a little too avidly and uncritically to his clever advisers who may be light on political history in Canada and political processes in the House of Commons, and the relationship between the elected House and the appointed Senate. And he wants to distinguish himself from the current government's politics, although on every issue of note apart from the environment (and even there, given his support of Alberta oil he's teetering on the edge) he agrees with Mr. Harper.

On the Senate he wants no part of the final report sticking to him.

Liberal senators roused themselves sufficiently out of brain-addled shock to hold a closed-door meeting on the Hill, a day following their unceremonious boot from the Liberal party. Their conclusion: affirming their decision to remain sitting to be recognized as the Senate Liberal caucus. That Mr. Trudeau instructed them to ditch the Liberal for Independent notwithstanding, their decision is their decision.

Senator James Cowan, asked about Mr. Trudeau's decision and his stern admonition that Liberal Senators were to henceforth consider themselves Independent Senators, responded: "You'll have to ask him about that. I am a Liberal senator and I remain a Liberal senator." As to numbers resistant to insisting on the status quo, there may be three among them prepared to sit as independents.

And then, the issue of funding allotted to the Senate opposition has come up. How can they be considered the official opposition if they are no longer aligned to a political party? The $200,000 in funding that was anticipated to top off their usual funding total is now in question. And that really does rankle. Ask a Liberal senator.