Editor: As being appointed to the Senate is commonly acknowledged as being a reward for loyal (partisan) political service to the political party currently in power, why wouldn't senators feel free, if not obliged, to feed greedily from the public trough? I mean, that is what pork-barrelling is all about, correct? On the other hand, the Senate could be very useful to all Canadians if the pork-barrelling politicians responsible for these abuses
did not abuse their appointments to gorge themselves financially.
I like the idea of a nonpartisan (free and independent) appointed Senate. It is the politicians in power who use it - and abuse it - as a political reward for past, present and future unquestioningly loyal partisan service who ultimately need to have their motives questioned and examined.
Yes, the Senate needs reforming; but I really do not think that abolishing it is constitutionally possible (that needs the approval of the provinces) in spite of what any political leader says publicly or to the contrary.
Perhaps we could start with appointing more responsible, more honest and more democratically inclined senators in the first place.
At the same time, we could also start electing better, more qualified, more honest, more independent, more democratically inclined and free thinking politicians.
Brian Leslie Engler
