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Arrogant, Insensitive Senate Lops
Another 10 Days of Sittings

It gets worse and worse.

In an article headed "The hard worked Canadian Senate" in the May 2001 issue of The Canadian Vindicator, there appeared the following three statements:

"By their sittings ye shall know them."

Between January 14 1960 and November 10 2000 the Senate sat 3,146 days

Over a period of 40 years the Senate sat on average 78.85 days a year.

Stretching credulity to the utmost, absolutely ignoring the rising tide of public condemnation, the arrogant, insensitive, appointed Senate has let it be known it will sit just 69 days in the current year 2002.

At least two of those sittings will be ceremonial.

Our sitting Senators are giving up sitting.

In 2001 five of them did not attend even half of the scheduled 85 sitting days.

And if that isn't enough, the penalty for missing scheduled sittings has been reduced from $250 to $190.

Last year the appointed Senators raised their annual salaries to $106,400, an increase of 20%. Add on support staff salaries, office space and equipment, free travel, and a host of other perquisites, and the cost to taxpayers mounts and mounts.

Any comparison of the Senate with certain U.S. corporations is to be condemned. The Senators have done nothing illegal. And if Canadians feel aggrieved, well, tough on them. As long as they tolerate an unelected Senate, things will only get worse.

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