Senate Rejects Broken Legislation

Acting as Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition, in place of Monsieur Dion's hapless, weak kneed cowards, members of Canada's Senate announced that they would return the Conservative's Bill C-10 to the House. The Senate is sending it back with amendments that strip the omnibus tax bill of film tax credit censorship provisions. This is very good news for Canada's beleaguered film and television community.

"Canada's independent film and television producers feel that they have been listened to and understood. The proposed amendments to Bill C-10 are fully consistent with Criminal Code compliance recommendations made by the Canadian Film and Television Production Association to the Senate Committee," said Guy Mayson, President and CEO of the CFTPA. "These amendments to Bill C-10 would help return stability to our industry, which employs more than 124,000 people across Canada."

After hiding from responsibility and refusing to act on behalf of Canadian interests, Monsieur Dion was only too happy to allow the Senate to exhibit the spine that he and his caucus lack.

The senators say they talked it over with Liberal Leader Stephane Dion - whose MPs have abstained from recent confidence votes lest they trigger an election - and were told to "do their job."

While some might accuse the gutless Dion of exercising political acumen by allowing the Upper House to take action, that seems the least likely scenario. Dion and the rudderless Liberals have run squealing from any and every piece of legislation that tests confidence. Their utter lack of resolve, direction and courage can not be recast as savvy politics in this instance. Credit lies solely with the good members of the Senate, whose willingness to provide oversight, actually read the damn bills set before them and heed the will of Canadians sets them well apart from their Lower House counterparts.

In this instance Dion and the Shrinking Violet Coalition he leads caught a break. The amendments by the Senate will not trigger an election. The Liberals won't run out of adult diapers just yet.

While the bill is considered a tax measure by the government, and thus a matter of confidence, a government defeat in the upper chamber - where the Liberals have a majority - can't, by itself, trigger an election.

A fact that goes without illumination by the lower watt bulbs.

So have the Liberals decided that Bill C-10 is the right issue on which to force an election? Or will Flaherty back down on his threat?

Well I suppose that's why nobody reads the Western Substandard. Quite simply, this was bad legislation, championed by a dishonest flapdoodle. The Cons made a clear attempt to insert religious censorship in the culture through a back door and got caught. I applaud our Senators for heeding the outrage of Canadians and performing their role as the house of sober second thought in an admirable fashion. Long live the Canadian Senate and the wise men and women who toil (and perhaps occasionally nap) within.