Based on the media and blog reaction to the Conservatives re-appointing some failed candidates to the senate, I’d think I should be feeling a huge sense of outrage.  But, I don’t.  It does sound sketchy enough, but not quite outrage-inducing, and I’m curious why.

I think it boils down to:

  1. The senate seems like a corrupt institution already, since members are appointed with unlimited terms.  So while it seems a slap in the face to re-appoint someone who was rejected by voters, this doesn’t seem any more corrupt than the system to begin with.
  2. I’m probably not going to be happy with anyone Harper would appoint.
  3. I’m cynical enough to expect tricks like this from politicians.

So, that’s great if we use this as a new reason to hope for reform of the senate, but on it’s own it seems pretty “meh.”