Independent senators growing restless with pace of change

The Liberal government's representative in the Senate tried to appease members of the Red Chamberby hosting an all-party meeting to discuss the onslaught of legislation headed theirway before Christmas but few partisan senators actually showed up.

It was far from a full complement of senators, as roughly 40 of 105 members made an appearance, and nobody in a leadership position in the Liberal or Conservative caucuses was there to discuss the agenda.

Peter Harder, who is tasked with shepherding legislation through the upper chamber on behalf of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, has been accusedby Liberal SenatorJim Cowan of being a "radical" and "slyly subversive" for hosting this meeting, in private, outside of the chamber.

Conservative Senator Leo Housakosechoed those sentiments, telling CBC News the meeting was an attempt by Harder to turn the Senate into a bureaucratic extension of the Liberalgovernment but with less transparency.

You know when I join a club, or a when I join a hockey team ...I don't offer myself up as the captain the first day.- Conservative SenatorDon Plett

Ontario Independent Senator Frances Lankinsaid the Harder bashing and "gamesmanship" was distracting from what senators are in Ottawa to do: pass legislation.

"Doing the business of the Senate, and the business of Parliament, is the reason we're here. Political theatre shouldn't be the reason we're here."

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Slow progress

The arrival of 21 newTrudeauappointees has hastened the demand for seats on Senate committees, which is where most of the "sober second thought"work of the Red Chamber is actually done.

Lankinsaid she isincreasingly frustrated with the pace of change, aspartisan senators have been loathto yieldpower to the Independents, who now form a plurality in the chamber.

If a senator does not sit on a single committee, their workload is rather lightthey are only expected to be present inthe Senate chamber for the three weeklysittings. (Additional sitting days can be added as needed.)

Asked Tuesday if the alleged delay was the result of an old boys' networktrying to hold on to power, the former Ontario NDP cabinet minister said she would not use those words exactly although she said, "I believe them strongly."

All Senate committees currently have a Conservative majority. Committee membership wasdetermined when Parliament returned after the last election, and the Tories still had a plurality in the chamber.

"I'm very impatient about the change, I've been here since April, I haven't seen, myself, a lot of progress,"Lankinsaid.

However, two seats on each Senate committee have already been set asidefor "non-affiliated" senators, but some have yet to be filled.

The partisan caucuses still control membership on committees there isn't a single Independent on the selection committee, which decides who sits where and research budgets are out of whack, Independent senators have argued.

Don't be in a rush, veteran senator says

Conservative Senator DonPlett, who chairs the selection committee, said in an interview thatLankinand other Independent senators need to put "a little water in their wine," as the process todivvyup seats is underway.

He said most of the new senators were only sworn in the over past two weeks, and change doesn't happen overnight, adding the new Independent senators have not shown a lot of deference to the more experienced members of the chamber.

"Does she want us to be allhelter-skelter?They seem to want tocome in oneday, and take control ofeverything," he said.

"You know when I join a club, or when I join a hockey team,I try to get to know the people, feel them outlittle bit, I don't offer myself up as the captain the first day I'm in with the new team."

As for the "old boys' club" charge, Plett said, "We've got just as many young girls in our caucus as any."

The jury is still out, the Manitoba senator said, if committees will be completely reconstituted to be fully reflective of the new chamber's composition.

"I think we have to find a way of making them accountable," he said, noting the Independents do not sit in a caucus and are not whipped or forced to show up to a committee assignment.

"We need to get some other rules in place before we simply dive in and put more committee members in."

Harder said Tuesday decisions on committee membership, and budgets, will be decided by consensus among the leadershipin"a very short period of time."