A heated afternoon in the #SenCA chamber over committee composition. There is squabbling over who gets seats on Senate committees, where most of the chamber's sober second thought actually occurs.
ISG Leader Sen. Woo said he wants proportionality for all Senate groups/senators. Conservative Leader Don Plett said that's false - Woo had proposed cutting out the Progressives and the unaffiliated entirely. "It's not often that you're accused of lying," Woo says in return.
Plett has receipts. He quotes from a leaders' meeting in which Woo allegedly proposed only having ISG, Conservatives and CSG members on committees. Woo now says he won't speak about private meetings when confronted with those numbers.
The opposition Conservatives want to continue ministerial QP - but they want to make the call on who comes, not the gov't. The ISG is opposed to giving the Tories that sort of power. The growing pains of Trudeau's Independent senate continues. #SenCA
A motion by CSG Sen. Robert Black to send the Beyak report back to the ethics committee for more debate is defeated - 24-49. The Beyak report - which calls for her suspension - will not be delayed by more study.
I asked @SenatorRobBlack and his office why he moved this (now defeated) motion to have more study of Lynn Beyak's conduct. I haven't heard back.
"Senator Black was hoping for more clarity in the report following a further review by the committee before its passage in the Chamber," a spokesperson for Sen. Rob Black tells me this morning.
.@SenatorRobBlack wants more clarity on the "next steps" for Beyak. The ethics committee's report stipulates she should be suspended for the parliamentary session & complete anti-racism training, among other remedial measures. It's not clear what further clarity Black is seeking.
The Canadian Senators Group, composed largely of former Conservative and conservative-minded senators, has sought to delay a vote on Beyak's suspension. Their motions and adjournments have so far been defeated by @ISGSenate and @Prog_Senate senators.
.@yuenpauwoo has expressed frustration with what he calls "procedural gamesmanship" by CSG senators. "Sen. Beyak has unequivocally accepted the recommendations of the report by the Ethics and Conflict of Interest Committee, there should be no further delay in voting on it."
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