Great read by Debby Simms. Patrick Brazeaus Policy Adviser

Debby writes for the Huffington Post on occasion and the following article by her addresses many misconceptions about the Senate......

Let's get it out in the open right from the start - anyone who tells you anything about the Senate of Canada has an agenda. Those that praise its good policy work, constitutional soundness, and genteel nobility do so because they have a dog in the race. Those with a boatload of reasons to abolish it do so because their dog is there too. Journalists and pundits fall in along the continuum between love and hate as well. And hardly anyone these days is free of an opinion on what should be done with this bothered and bewildered Senate of ours.

Given the abundance of ink spilled and hot air spewed on the topic, it might be helpful to organize all the chatter somehow. Given limited space, we might start with four of the more popular refrains.

The Senate does good policy and legislative work.

This is, in the main, true. But do not take anyone's word for it, including mine. A little Googling will get you to Senate Hansard, Committee reports, and links to individual Senator Pages. Or if TV is more your style, check out CPAC (the Canadian Public Affairs Channel) where you can watch committee sessions from beginning to end in either official language. Of course Senators themselves and Senate enthusiasts will tell you how brilliant and extraordinary their work is. But it is best to decide for yourself. If you choose not to read through at least one page of Hansard, or watch one committee meeting in its entirety, your opinion will remain uninformed.

Senators don't do anything and get a lot of money for it.

Here again it is best to avoid those who trumpet this view without evidence. The Senate site reveals who is on which committees, what they contributed, and what they said or didn't say in Chamber. Individual Senator sites will also highlight contributions of a given Senator inside and outside the Chamber. There is an old joke about an appointment to the Senate being a "task-less thanks." That may have been true back in the day when all parliamentarians were drunk by noon, but reading, viewing or attending even one full committee meeting will show you otherwise. Look, for example, at the recent work done on Cyber-bullying by the Human Rights Committee. Read first, then pass judgment on its value.

The Senate is a smooth running democratic institution except for some bad apples.

more.... http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/debby-simms/senate-scandal-transparency-plan_b_3547783.html

Debby was on Power and Politics today talking to Evan Soloman here are two tweets to Evan while she was talking......

SenPatrickBrazeau @TheBrazman 3m
@evansolomoncbc @DebbySimms. Well done. Your loyalty Debby is something the PM and many #CPC members lack.

Michael Sona @MichaelSona 3m
.@DebbySimms "You meet the nicest people under the bus." You meet the people that matter and actually care.