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Thursday, January 30, 2013 X Volume 26 No. 11 www.kamloopsthisweek.com X 30 cents at Newsstands
Marchand: Senate freedom ‘major move’ By Cam Fortems STAFF REPORTER
cam@kamloopsthisweek.com
A surprise move this week by Justin Trudeau to kick Liberal senators out of the federal caucus, making them independent, is being lauded by a longtime member of the red chamber and a TRU political scientist. “It’s a major move,” said Len Marchand, a former city MP, cabinet minister and B.C. senator. “It caught us old Liberal members by surprise.” Liberal Leader Trudeau held a news conference on Parliament Hill, saying extreme patronage and partisanship are at the root of the Senate expenses scandal, which has engulfed the upper chamber for more than a year. “The Senate is broken and needs to be fixed,’’ he said. Making Liberal senators independent of the party’s parliamentary caucus is a first, concrete step toward reducing partisanship, Trudeau argued as he challenged Prime Minister Stephen Harper to similarly set free the 57 Conservative senators. But, Kamloops-ThompsonCariboo (Conservative) MP Cathy McLeod said the timing of the announcement — before an auditorgeneral’s report on Senate expenses is due to be released — is suspicious. Since being elected, Harper has
appointed dozens of senators — despite a pledge eight years ago to not appoint them. He is now engulfed in an expenses scandal involving Conservative senators Mike Duffy, Pamela Wallin and Patrick Brazeau. Liberal members have also been implicated. McLeod said the party continues to promote an elected Senate, pointing to the government’s referral to the Supreme Court of Canada of a way to elect senators in accordance MP CATHY MCLEOD: with the Suspicious of Justin ConstTrudeau’s Senate move. itution. She prefers the idea of an elected Senate to making senators free of party affiliation. “I have a big concern,” she said of Trudeau’s move. “We would use an unelected body to appoint unelected members who could amend legislation from a duly elected House of Commons.” X See TRUDEAU A6
FIRED UP AT PUBLIC HEARING
When the former rooming house at 331 West Seymour St. caught fire, neighbours rejoiced. “To be honest, when I saw the flames curling into the sky, I was delighted,” Ralph Adams told Kamloops city council during a public hearing on Tuesday, Jan. 28. He wasn’t the only one on the block celebrating.
BCSPCA Const. Jamie Wiltse walks with one of the many horses seized from the Kamloops area in late 2013 for suspected neglect. Candice Camille photo
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