The Canadian House of Commons passed new consumer product safety legislation earlier this year. In a truly remarkable turn of events, our hopelessly divided, hyper-partisan, poisonous Commons actually passed the legislation unanimously.
That's right. Unanimously. Neanderthaal Conservatives, craven Liberals, wide-eyed socialists and menacing separatists all came together to pass legislation to protect consumers - legislation that has been endorsed by the Canadian Medical Association, the Standards Council of Canada, the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs and who knows how many other non-partisan organizations that promote the public good.
So far, so good.
Then the legislation went to the Canadian Senate.
What has happened there is clear and unambiguous proof that Canada would be better off if both the Senate and the Liberal Party were abolished.
Liberal Senators - thanks to the longevity of the corrupt kleptocracy known as the Chretien - Martin ministry - hold an effective majority in the Senate. Liberal Senators have decided to gut the legislation that the elected House of Commons passed unanimously.
Despite the posturing of Liberals in the Commons, we now know that the Liberal Party of Canada is opposed to the government instituting mandatory recalls of dangerous products. According to these unfit and despicable public "servants," companies shouldn't even have to report any serious incidents where people are injured or killed by product malfunctions.
Let's be clear about this.
The Liberal Party of Canada believes that corporate profits are more important than human lives.
At least, that's what 45 Liberal Senators believe. Liberal Leader Count Michael Ignatieff apparently sees no problem with their behaviour. (Perhaps best we not depend on the moral compass of a politician who endorses torture.)
The story gets even more bizarre.
Liberal Senator (and professional wingnut) Mobina Jaffer believes that protecting consumers is the moral equivalent of murdering a public official and cutting off his genitals. (Finally a Liberal crazier than Hedy Fry.)
No. Seriously. I am not making this up.
Yesterday, Senator Jaffer justified her attack on Canadian consumers by alluding to an incident in Uganda in the 1970s where a local mayor was murdered and castrated - possibly by supporters of Idi Amin.
The Liberals are taking their marching orders from the implausibly named Trueman Tuck, who leads an astroturf lobby group called the Canadian Coalition for Health Freedom, which apparently believes this legislation would create "a genocide far greater than any genocide in recorded history."
So, there you have it. According to Liberal Senators and their friends, trying to ensure that little babies aren't in danger from their cribs is akin to the mass murder of six million Jews and countless other victims of Naziism.
Seriously.
I am not making this up.
There are some really stand-up people in the Senate. And while their expensive sinecure is the ultimate taskless thanks, there are some Senators who try to do some worthwhile things.
But the irresponsible and frankly lunatic conduct of 45 Liberal Senators is proof positive that the Senate of Canada is nothing but a festering pustule on the arse-end of Canada's democracy.
And so is the Liberal Party of Canada.
9 comments:
This is bizarre and upsetting. However, I think you've quoted Mr Tuck out of context - the genocide comment was his blaming "big pharma". I'm not sure I understand how it all fits together but it doesn't seem necessarily tied to the bill.
Well, yes. But he raised this idiotic "point" while arguing against the bill, so presumably there is a connection, if only in his fevered delusions. I'm essentially drawing the same conclusion as John Ivison.
In a healthy democracy, nobody would take a guy like that seriously.
But this isn't a healthy democracy - where 45 unelected Liberal hacks and flacks can collect C$130,400 a year to subvert the unanimous will of the elected Commons.
And all the while the Count pretends that he has no control over what Liberal Senators do.
Don't hold back Malcom. It's not good to keep your feelings bottled up :-)
I am absolutely shocked at this.
You have my sympathy and, as you know, I share your outrage at Senates thwarting the will and well-being of the people.
Great post ... and the title of the post should be nominated for a Canadian Blog Award!! ;)
Michael Ignatieff endorses torture, thought the war in Iraq was a good idea, and thinks that in the struggle with climate change we shouldn't do anything to harm the Alberta oilsands. My only question is, why isn't he a Conservative?
No need for him to be a Conservative. His hard right positions are entirely in keeping with the history of the Liberal Party. It was the Liberals, after all, who instituted the Chinese head tax, who refused entry to Jewish refugees in the prewar period, who interred Canadian citizens of Japanese, Italian and German ancestry in WWII, who imposed martial law in peacetime.
My question is rather, where do people get the bizarre idea that the Liberals are an ALTERNATIVE to the Conservatives?
Malcolm, I thought for a minute there that you had moved to the US. The title of your post sounds exactly like a description of our Senate.
And then, I read your post. Well, it coulda been our Senate.
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