Trudeau expels Liberal senators from caucus
This Just-in
- Jane Lytvynenko — CUP Ottawa Bureau Chief
- in Canada, News, Ottawa
(Photo by Jane Lytvynenko/Canadian University Press)
OTTAWA (CUP) — In an unprecedented move Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau expelled 32 senators from his caucus early Jan. 29. In a press conference at 9:30 a.m. EST, after the party’s caucus meeting, Trudeau broke the news to journalists.
“The Senate is broken and needs to be fixed,” he said in his speech. He said the now former Liberal will be sitting in the Red Chamber as independents and called on Prime Minister Stephen Harper to follow his lead.
Having party affiliated senators is “at best redundant, at worst amplified prime minister’s power,” said Trudeau. “I want to be perfectly clear, there are no more Liberal senators. The only way to be part of the Liberal caucus is to be put there by the people of Canada.”
During Question Period, held in the House of Commons every afternoon, the Liberal leader saw pushback from the Conservatives across the isle.
“I gather the change announced today is that unelected Liberal senators will now be unelected senators who are Liberal,” said Harper.
Thomas Mulcair also criticized Trudeau, saying in October 2013 the NDP called for the senate to have no partisan proceedings in the Senate, including party affiliation. Trudeau voted against the bill at the time.
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