Raucous YouTube videos embarrass senators
Last Updated: Thursday, July 2, 2009 | 4:17 PM ET
CBC News
Conservative Senator Pamela Wallin blames Liberal chairman Colin Kenny for the problems at the committee on national security and defence. (Tom Hanson/Canadian Press) The shouting, swearing and even name-calling at a high-profile Senate committee have rendered it a dysfunctional, public spectacle on Parliament Hill, senators have told CBC News.
And after videos of a meeting of the committee on national security and defence were posted on YouTube, it has reached a new level of notoriety.
The committee's mandate is to examine key issues such as the war in Afghanistan, the security of Canada's borders and ports and the performance of the RCMP.
Its June 15 meeting — portions of which have been posted at the video website — started as usual with classical music playing as senators convened. However, the elegant prelude belied the bickering and sniping that followed — all of it caught on cameras and microphones.
Conservative and Liberal senators blamed each other for the problems.
Senate defence committee chairman Colin Kenny, seen in 2007, says Conservative senators opposed to criticism of the Harper government are to blame for the committee's problems. (Tom Hanson/Canadian Press) Conservative Senator Pamela Wallin accused the Liberal chair of the committee, Colin Kenny, of holding meetings when Conservatives aren't available, conducting illegitimate votes and calling her names that can't be repeated.
"He tends to run roughshod over the system," she said. "Dictatorship is actually a word that I heard one of my Liberal colleagues use to describe this. I think this is a man who has had control of a committee, who is used to having his own way."
Conservative Senator David Tkachuk said Kenny has hired outside consultants — at a cost of up to $160,000 a year, paid for by the Senate — who serve only him and not other members of the committee.
"He seems to think because he is the chairman of the committee, he can do what he wants," Tkachuk said. "My view is, he has to serve the interests of the committee, he doesn't serve the interests of himself."
However, Kenny said Conservative senators are attacking him because of the 28 previous reports of the committee, which has been known for being critical of the way all governments have handled national security issues.
"It appears they want to stop the committee," Kenny said. "It's a remarkable coincidence that once Senator Tkachuk and Senator Wallin came, there was a fair amount of disruption. But it also coincided with Mr. [Stephen] Harper coming. These people were happy when we were criticizing Liberal governments, but not when are were criticizing Conservative governments."
However, the Liberal and Conservative senators agree on one thing: The childish displays at the committee are an embarrassment to both parties and not in keeping with the Senate's image as the chamber of sober second thought.
