The Irony, It Burns!

So, now that a bill that Stephen Harper doesn't like has passed the House of Commons, he is now asking that the Senate squash it.

That would be the same Stephen Harper who just a few weeks ago was threatening to collapse the parliament if the Senate didn't pass his utterly brain dead "get tough on crime" bill, and has been very disrespectful of the Senate.

Harper's been itching to redesign - or replace - the Senate with something created in his own image for years. Of course, anything he does will be very limited unless Harper's willing to attempt a constitutional amendment. (a process which I don't think Canadians are willing to consider at this time, as it would oblige reopening certain discussions around Quebec and the First Nations that are, well, sticky)

However, there is a grand irony that Harper finds himself bound to asking the Senate to put the brakes on a bill that the House of Commons has passed. It wasn't very long ago that he was screaming about the Senate overriding the will of Canada's elected house of parliament.

This in fact underscores my long held point about the Senate - namely that the Con$ don't understand it's existence, history, processes or the balance of powers that are involved. Harper has been so caustic towards the Senate, I'd almost consider passing this bill to be a well delivered slap in the face to PMSH. (Oh yes, and the claim that it would push the government into deficit is an utter falsehood. It would only push the government into deficit if the HarperCon$ government lacks the requisite intelligence to adjust their fiscal budget.

If the Senate is going to be called upon to kill a bill, it will be Bill C-484, which is nothing less than another piece of TheoCon inspired garbage aimed squarely at a woman's right to control over her body and reproductive destiny. (and no doubt has Chuck McVety positively drooling over the prospect of 'putting those uppity feminists back in their place')