If this is evolution, to hell with Darwin

Stephen Harper was successful in blunting fears about his extremism during the federal election by saying he had "evolved" on several key issues, most of them regarding social policy.

Who would have imagined, however, that he evolved so far past his Reform populist roots that he would end up sucking up to those currently appointed to and those desiring appointment to Canada's brass ring of patronage, the Senate.

This evening, we read this news:

Harper hopes to elect senators by next ballot

BRAIN LAGHI

Globe and Mail Update

Ottawa — Prime Minister Stephen Harper says he's still hopeful that Canadians will go to the polls to elect a senator at the next federal election, even though a new government bill to reform the upper chamber falls short of that pledge.

“I favour electing senators and I still favour electing senators (but) that's a more controversial measure, one that I am prepared to look at in this term of government,” the prime minister said in an interview with The Globe and Mail and CTV News Tuesday afternoon.

“What we thought we would start with would be a measure that everybody should be able to agree with.”

Mr. Harper made the comments after his government introduced legislation that would limit senators to eight-year terms. However, the bill does not call for a timetable to elect the Senate. Also on Tuesday, the four western premiers said they would also like to see an elected senate. Three of them said they'd abolish it altogether. ...

Almost no other policy plank of the old Reform Party apart from abolishing the gun registry is as memorable as having an "effective, equal and elected" -- or Triple E -- upper chamber.

Here is Harper's mentor, Presto Manning when he led Reform:

Recently, I reintroduced my Senate Selection Act in the House of Commons. This bill would force the Prime Minister to seek the opinion of the electors in a province before naming a Senate seat in that province. Many people have approached me and said the Senate should simply be abolished—that it is a waste of money. I agree that the current Senate arrangement is not serving Canadians. But, if we abolish the Senate, Canadians outside of Ontario and Quebec will continue to be at the mercy of Central Canadian influence. The Senate has the potential to provide a more balanced regional representation to protect less populous areas of the country.

In addition, the Senate should act as a chamber of sober second thought on government legislation. While an elected Senate is the first step to achieving true representation, it is only one-third of what is needed to ensure Canadians are truly equal. The answer is a Triple-E-Senate:

Effective: Under current legislation the Senate has the power to be effective in representing regional interests and sober second thought. However, because the Senate is not elected and represents the worst of partisan, political patronage, it lacks all legitimacy. It is unaccountable to Canadian taxpayers.

Equal: Although Senators frequently say that they will take on regional interests, when push comes to shove they invariably vote along party lines. If they were elected they would be accountable to the regions they represent.

Elected: The starting point of Senate reform so that Canadians will have a lawmaking system that reflects the needs of this great country is with the election of Senators. The Senate and its important functions will never be a legitimate part of the lawmaking body, unless its members are accountable to the people of Canada through a democratic election process.

By inclination, we would be just as happy with surgical removal of this atrophied vestige of olden days. However, an elected upper chamber has some appeal and Manning's old bill still makes a lot of sense. But it appears his heirs are happier keeping the Marjorie LeBretons and Janis Johnsons of the world in a state of comfort than adhering to their principles.

If this is evolution, to hell with Darwin.

The new gang

There is growing speculation that Sam Katz is trying to put together a "gang" of his own at City Hall. (Greybeards out there may remember that versions of right/centre-right councillors, known as "the gang" have run City Hall more often than not.)

Afraid of any opposition in the Council chamber, Katz is doing what many observers can't remember a Mayor so overtly doing - using the influence of his Office to help position certain council candidates in the upcoming civic election.

The non-partisan structure of city government is a virtue that Mayor Katz often heralds in the same breath he reminds us that, "I am not a politician." However, on key council votes the line between the yays and nays is often drawn on political or idological grounds.

Katz would be wearing egg on his face today if two more councillors had voted nay in the recent 10-6 Olywest decision. Katz knows that all his future plans, such as business tax cuts and service privatization, will depend on preserving "his" balance of power.

So Katz is using extraordinary measures. This week, the Mayor hosted a campaign-style news conference announcing that he and Councillor Franco Magnifico will be "recommending" to City Council a $300,000 grant to the Cercle Moliere Theatre in Magnifico's St. Boniface ward.

"Franco deserves full credit, as usual, for persistently working to bring Le Cercle Moliere’s case to my attention," extols Mayor Katz in the news release issued on his personal letterhead, rather than the City's official stock.It would seem unusual to host a media event for a mere "recommendation" and even more unusual since Katz is not known as a strong supporter of municipal funding for the arts.

Or maybe it's not so unusal if Katz were trying to throw some smelling salts under the nose of Councillor Magnifico who has taken quite beating lately on the Olywest issue. It is widely speculated that Magnifco may receive the final knock-out punch from the "come back kid" Danny Vandal.

Katz really needs to keep Magnifico's vote. While this flew far over the head of the Winnipeg Free Press, our television media did make passing reference to this questionable timing in their reports.The Free Press did report this week that two prominent Tories will will run against two strong council incumbents. Scott Fielding will take on veteran Jae Eadie in St. James and Brenda Leipsic will go up against Donald Benham in River Heights Heights. Both would give Katz "sure thing" votes on council decisions and would oust Donald Benham, a consistent opponent to Mayor Sam.

The Free Press reported that Leipsic has an impressive resume, including being a member of the Winnipeg Convention Centre Board. They fail to mention that both her and Scott Fielding were recently appointed to that blue chip board by Katz himself.

Katz also appointed Leipsic to chair the recent high-profile City Summit dinner.

Some might say that these kinds of "political" tactics would only be used by a seasoned politician. Well perhaps Sam Katz has grown a pair of those "politician's legs" that he had early-on resisted. He knows that to successfully run the four-year marathon of his next mandate he will need as many councillors as possible in his gang. We'll see what other powers he might use to make this so.

Sorry, dear, times have changed ...

The pending wedding of two gay RCMP officers is welcome news on a variety of fronts.

For starters, it could give rise to a clever Canadian tourism campaign, aimed at Americans' long- held fascination with our boys in red: "Cause the Mounties always get their man, eh?"

Seriously though, the courage of these officers to "come out" at this time cannot be understated. Not only do the men work in one of the most macho environments around, their primary employer, the federal government, is openly hostile to gay rights.

The courage of these two officers is commendable. They could have done what many gay and lesbian Canadians do - wait in painful silence, hoping someday the front-page assault on the right of consenting adults to love, care and be legally responsible for a same-sex partner will end.

Instead, the officers chose to speak out publicly and shine the light of the nation on their personal lives.

The only outstanding question now is whether the Harper government will match this act of courage with the supreme act of cowardice - rolling back the law and cancelling the marriage of these two men (and thousands of other citizens) later in their mandate.

The fact that the prime minister has issued a gag order to his caucus on this issue speaks volumes about the knuckedraggers in the federal Conservative Party who are being asked to temper their venom towards gays and others in a bid for a majority.

Yes, the Mounties always get their man. This time, it may very well be Stephen Harper and his worst instincts that they end up holding in check. Bravo gentlemen.