In one fell swoop Liberal leader Justin Trudeau knocked 32 senators on their butts and set in motion yet another firestorm of debate on the relevance and purpose of the Canadian Senate.
Is this an honest stab at reform or a cynical effort to distance the Liberal Party from possible future scandals involving expenses? The answer to that question depends on who you talk to.
Certainly, most Canadians outside of Ottawa would rather see the costly house of sober second thought demolished completely. But if reform is all we can get in the short term, kicking Liberal senators out of caucus provides at least some opportunity for independence.
It would take an army of political scientists to sniff out whether this move makes a difference long term. Meanwhile, the Tories are awaiting a decision on making the Senate an elected body.
This is all well and good, but for most people, paying more people to go over the same decisions that elected parliamentarians already make is a waste of time and money.
