How the Tory MP surprised the Rabbi

By Mitchel Raphael - Monday, October 31, 2011 at 8:30 AM - 0 Comments

Mitchel Raphael/Maclean's

Following #redchamber

Who says the Senate is out of touch? It recently announced a Twitter account, so “Canadians can learn about what is happening at the Senate—when it happens,” according to a release. The Senate can be followed at @SenateCA. The hashtag is #SenCA. “Twitter is a step in the right direction,” says Alberta Liberal Sen. Grant Mitchell. Admittedly, the Senate has skipped a few technological trends. Mitchell has been trying to get TV cameras in the Senate, just like in the House of Commons. A few years ago Conservative senators Hugh Segal and Tommy Banks had a motion to set up cameras in the upper house, but that fizzled. Mitchell said the price tag would be around $2 million. However, he has proposed the Senate do webcasting, which would cost $120,000 to set up and another $33,000 a year to maintain. “We owe it to Canadians, in the spirit of transparency,” says Mitchell. “Plus, they would see the quality of the speeches, the dignity with which we debate. We are not as partisan as the House and there is not as much tension.” For now, however, it looks like dignified tweets will have to do.

Suits Jason Kenney just fine

There is no turning back for Immigration Minister Jason Kenney. He continues to lose weight through diet and exercise. He has gone down so many suit sizes that even some of his smaller suits are too big. He recently got rid of his larger ones, to ensure that he never goes back to his larger size, otherwise he will have to fork out a huge amount to re-supersize his wardrobe.

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The red shift

By Aaron Wherry - Wednesday, August 18, 2010 at 3:41 PM - 0 Comments

Liberal senator Grant Mitchell contemplates the potential possibilities and pitfalls of senate reform.

Electing Senators will cause a massive shift of power from the Prime Minister, from the House of Commons and from provincial Premiers to the Senate. As elected Senators they can (and they will) hold up legislation and budgets which will diminish the power of the House of Commons. Since there are, for example, only 6 Senators in Alberta compared to 28 MPs, they will have more prominence and the power that goes with it. When elected, Senators will more aggressively exercise their role in representing regional rights and will take the power to do that from where it resides now, with the Premiers. I often ask people to name 5 members of the US House of Representatives, 5 Governors and then 5 US Senators. For most, it is way easier to name Senators than either Governors or a Congress Person. That’s because the US Senate, elected as it is, is the most powerful institution in US government.

A core Canadian value

By Aaron Wherry - Monday, March 30, 2009 at 12:58 PM - 10 Comments

Liberal Senator Grant Mitchell blogs about Omar Khadr.

Khadr was allegedly involved in the encounter with American forces during which it is alleged that he killed one of them. Yes, this was a terrible tragedy for this soldier, his family, friends and colleagues. But do we not make it worse if we let it undermine the fairness and the justice that Canadians are famous for?

We are watching (II)

By Aaron Wherry - Monday, March 16, 2009 at 12:28 PM - 13 Comments

Senator Grant Mitchell is a big fan.

At first, I thought she was simply using her Blackberry for all the things that each of us uses them. But, she never put it down. She was riveted to it, writing feverishly with her thumbs as she blogged the proceedings.  There was a compelling intensity and urgency in her demeanor and in her eyes.