Just when you thought the unelected Senate couldn’t become more of a partisan dumping ground, Justin Trudeau is proving us wrong yet again. The self-anointed reforming Prime Minister who boldly declared the Senate and partisanship must go has now appointed over 80 loyal Liberal allies and financial benefactors to the disgraced upper chamber.
Far from the transformative reforms he once claimed to champion, Trudeau’s piecemeal tweaks have only further corroded public trust in an antidemocratic institution that has no place in a modern democracy.
The hypocrisy is astounding – while paying lip service to accountability and independence, the PM has quietly ensured the Senate remains a partisan bastion to reward Liberal loyalists.
After 81 cynical appointments in eight years, Trudeau’s disgraceful Senate charade has been exposed as nothing more than smoke and mirrors.
Meaningful reform remains an unfulfilled pipe dream as the PM prioritizes political self-interest over democratic principles.
It’s clear Trudeau lacks the courage to take decisive action. His superficial tinkering and broken promises continue to erode Canadians’ faith in Parliament. The only viable reform is outright abolition – it’s time to consign this affront to democracy to the dustbin of history where it belongs.
Trudeau promised to reform the Senate and make it less partisan. But his so-called “independent” appointments tell a far different story.
At least 6 of Trudeau’s Senate picks are alumni of his own Trudeau Foundation. This includes the hand-picked leadership team that has run the Senate for Trudeau over the past 4 years.
The partisan nepotism doesn’t end there. Trudeau also appointed a 20-year Liberal MP and multiple maximum donors to the Liberal Party’s Team Trudeau.
After stacking the Senate with over 80 loyal liberals, it’s clear Trudeau’s “reforms” were never meant to make the institution actually independent. Rather, he has transformed the Red Chamber into his own partisan creature.
The Senate now serves as a haven where Trudeau can reward longtime friends, allies and donors with cushy patronage positions devoid of accountability.
When Trudeau first removed Liberal senators from the party’s national caucus back in 2014, many saw it as a stunt—a way to gain political points without enacting real change. Perhaps we should have listened more closely. Trudeau wasn’t interested in reforming the Senate to serve Canadians better. He simply wanted to reshape it to serve his own political ends.
That much has become abundantly clear as Trudeau has stacked the Senate with sympathetic “independents” over his last 8 years as Prime Minister.
Nearly three quarters of the current senators were appointed by Trudeau, many of whom have clear links to the Liberal Party despite claiming to be non-partisan.
Take Trudeau’s very first appointee, Peter Harder. He was a lifetime Liberal Party member and bureaucrat. Harder went on to serve as the Government’s Representative in the Senate for 4 years—essentially acting as a partisan mouthpiece for Trudeau.
Many of the so-called “independent” senators appointed by Trudeau also happen to be former Liberal candidates, donors, and advisors. His 81st appointment this week fits the pattern – yet another loyal Liberal cloaked in the guise of independence.
When controversial bills have come up on issues like medically assisted dying and carbon taxes, Trudeau’s hand-picked “Independents” consistently side with the Liberal government’s position. Meanwhile, the remaining Conservative opposition is increasingly marginalized in the Trudeau-stacked Senate.
The advisory boards recommending nominees are clearly designed to produce Liberal allies, not genuine independents. The partisan leanings of Trudeau’s appointees reveal the truth – independence is the exception rather than the norm.
Trudeau’s reforms have not made the Senate any less partisan—they’ve simply turned it into a chamber of covert Liberal partisans operating under the pretense of independence while furthering the government’s agenda.
The advisory boards that recommend Senate appointees were supposed to be independent. In reality, they are heavily influenced by the Prime Minister’s Office. The majority of appointees are sympathetic to the Liberals. Rather than ending partisanship, Trudeau has merely changed the Senate’s stripes.
Under this new Trudeau-molded Senate, the legislative process has become more chaotic and expensive. With senators acting as individuals rather than organized parties, there is less efficient coordination and more gridlock. The costs of operating the Senate have ballooned by $50 million since Trudeau took office.
Meanwhile, there is diminished opposition to thoroughly scrutinize and debate government legislation. A functional Westminster parliamentary system relies on both a government and opposition in the upper house. Trudeau has weakened the Senate’s ability to properly perform this role.
The Conservatives warn that many of Trudeau’s appointees are Liberal hacks and partisans masquerading as independents. They argue a transparently partisan Senate is preferable to one that pretends to be above the fray while still doing the government’s bidding.
“I have frequently termed this Justin Trudeau’s fake independent Senate because I really don’t think that it has been in any way Senate reform. I think many Canadians, myself included, want to see real Senate reform. But this is not that,” said Denise Batters, a Conservative senator from Saskatchewan.
At least an openly partisan Senate is honest about its political leanings rather than hiding behind a myth of nonpartisanship. Trudeau’s Senate appointees may claim to be neutral technocrats, but their actions and connections reveal most are loyal Liberals.
Recent polls reveal that Trudeau’s Liberals face potential defeat in the next election. This has cast serious doubts on the future of his so-called Senate reforms. It is becoming increasingly likely that his partisan meddling with the Upper Chamber will be short-lived.
Once seated, a Conservative government would swiftly restore the Senate to its traditional role, ending Trudeau’s failed experiment. Canadians can look forward to a return to proper partisan alignment in the Red Chamber under a Conservative mandate.
Conservatives understand that effective governance requires clear government and opposition parties in the Senate, not Trudeau’s sham independents. A Conservative-led Senate would feature defined Conservative and opposition benches, restoring true accountability.
Unlike Trudeau’s unilateral tinkering, the Conservatives would pursue comprehensive reforms to enhance the Senate’s transparency and democratic legitimacy. This would curb the partisan abuses and waste that the Liberals have exacerbated.
The prospect of a return to Conservative leadership has sparked hopes that Trudeau’s damaging Senate reforms will be reversed in due course. The coming election could mark the beginning of the end for his vanity project and pave the way for meaningful Senate modernization guided by Conservative principles.
The durability of Trudeau’s changes remains uncertain. What is clear is that the new Senate was never meant to be independent or non-partisan. It was designed to provide a veneer of independence while still advancing the Liberal agenda.
Rather than genuine reform, Trudeau has given us superficial change at best. The Senate still lacks accountability and transparency. Canadians are stuck with an upper chamber that serves political interests rather than the national interest.
Trudeau’s superficial tinkering with the antiquated Senate is an insult to Canadians. This undemocratic oligarchy should be abolished entirely and replaced with a body that truly represents the diverse interests of this nation.
In the meantime, Trudeau’s partisan lackeys continue pilfering taxpayer dollars to fuel their expense accounts and cushy lifestyles. The Red Chamber remains a den of Liberal yes-men lining their pockets while failing to provide meaningful oversight.
Canadians are sick and tired of this band of unelected Liberal sycophants pretending to be “independent” while obeying their master’s orders. We need drastic reforms to transform this elitist club into an assembly of elected representatives who serve citizens, not the Prime Minister’s cronies.
But Trudeau is too spineless and self-interested to ever lead these necessary reforms. His appointments have only strengthened the Senate’s culture of unaccountable partisan patronage. After 8 years of disgraceful inaction, it’s clear Trudeau is beholden to the old boys club.
If Trudeau had any integrity, he would listen to Canadians and abolish the Senate immediately. In its place, we need an elected body giving voice to First Nations, women, visible minorities, and other under-represented groups – not just wealthy Liberal donors.
Until this dream is realized, the partisan circus of Trudeau’s Senate will continue wasting billions while serving the Liberal elite. Trudeau’s complicity in this travesty shows he is unfit to be Prime Minister. His Senate scam has gone on long enough. The time has come for real change.
