“As everyone in this room knows, it has become a right of passage for aspiring leaders and prime ministers to promise Senate reform – on their way to the top – but once they are elected, Senate reform quickly falls to the bottom of the Government’s agenda. Nothing ever gets done.”
-Stephen Harper, Speech on Senate Reform before Senate Committee, September 7, 2006

The recipe for Senate appointments rarely changes, does it?

-Round up some party cronies

-Make sure at least two thirds are men

-Add an athlete (preferably a hockey player) to deflect attention away from the patronage

-Make the announcement at a time when no one’s really paying attention

Yes, the Liberals used the same playbook for years. It’s just, you know, they were always fairly upfront about it.