What's that you say, Mrs. Robinson?
Back in the heady days of the Reform Party, Preston Manning’s gang of merry reformers (with Deceivin’ Steven at his side) were all about Senate reform. Real Senate reform that is, not the tepid window dressing masquerading as Senate reform they’re not peddling.
They were also all about the wacky stunt to call attention to their issues and garner media attention. One such stunt involved the truant Senator, Andrew Thompson. Thompson had a pitifully poor attendance record, claiming poor health, spending most of his time in
The Reformers also latched-onto Thompson as a symbol of all that was wrong with the Red Chamber. In a memorable stunt, they hired a Mariachi band and served burritos in the Senate lobby to draw attention to Thompson’s absenteeism. I even recall Randy White wearing a sombrero and shaking maracas. Still have nightmares actually.
Any-ho, the Senate eventually suspended Thompson and shortly thereafter he resigned.
I’ve embarked on this trip down Reform memory lane not just for fun, but because the Thompson case came to mind when I read this little factoid recently posted by Cerberus:
(Public Works Minister Michael Fortier)'s view on the legitimacy of the Senate can probably be divined from his voting record. He has voted just five times (all on the same day) in 102 sitting days.
Math has never been a strong suit of mine, but that seems to be a vote attendance record of 4.9 per cent. Nearly in Thompson territory. And yet the old Reformers are quiet. No Mariachi Band. No maracas.
Maybe they’ll stop rolling-over for Harper’s sellout of their principles and mockery of everything they stood for after their siestas?
