Can Trudeau Save the Senate?
Justin Trudeau's announcement that he removed 32 Liberal senators from his caucus came as a big surprise at his Wednesday press conference. We convene a panel of independent political watchers to discuss what Trudeau's move really means for the future of the Red Chamber....
Justin Trudeau's announcement that he removed 32 Liberal senators from his caucus came as a big surprise at his Wednesday press conference. We convene a panel of independent political watchers to discuss what Trudeau's move really means for the future of the Red Chamber.
Liberal leader Justin Trudeau says that move is about creating a non-partisan upper house. Some of his opponents say it is less than Senate-shattering. But Trudeau's announcement Wednesday has reignited the debate about the future of the Senate.
To try to understand what's behind Trudeau's Senate surprise, we were joined by three veteran observers of Ottawa politics.
Share your thoughts on this discussion or anything you hear on The Current.
As of this morning only elected members of the House of Commons will serve as members of the Liberal caucus. The 32 formerly Liberal senators are now independent of the national Liberal caucus. They are no longer part of our parliamentary team. There are no more Liberal senators.Justin Trudeau
Liberal leader Justin Trudeau says that move is about creating a non-partisan upper house. Some of his opponents say it is less than Senate-shattering. But Trudeau's announcement Wednesday has reignited the debate about the future of the Senate.
To try to understand what's behind Trudeau's Senate surprise, we were joined by three veteran observers of Ottawa politics.
- Paul Wells is the political editor of Macleans magazine. His new book is "The Longer I'm Prime Minister". He was in Ottawa.
- Jane Taber is the Atlantic Bureau Chief for the Globe and Mail. She was in Halifax.
- Michael Den Tandt is a political columnist for Postmedia News. He was in Owen Sound, Ontario.
Share your thoughts on this discussion or anything you hear on The Current.
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This segment was produced by The Current's Sujata Berry and Alexandra Huffman