Back nearly 30 years ago, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau forced John Turner to hold his nose and appoint a slate of people to the Senate and other patronage positions. At the time, I was working in the PMO in the correspondence division and I spent much of that time answering angry letters from Canadians about all the hacks that were being given these plum promotions on dubious credentials. There were postcards and phone calls, all questioning Turner's sanity. In his defence, Turner told Brian Mulroney he "had no option". That didn't fly with Canadians and Turner was turfed only four months into his job as Prime Minister. But the smell has lingered and the fetid bodies of Senators for Life are rising up and threatening a zombie apocalypse. This time it's Colin Kenny, a Liberal hack who was elevated to the Senate at the tender age of 41. Next year, Kenny will celebrate his 30th year in his job for life. What's even worse is that he has five years to go. ...
More than a million served!