Irony alert: the Senate edition
Irony alert: the Senate edition This article is more than 10 years old

Irony alert: the Senate edition

When Mike Duffy stood up in the Senate chamber on Tuesday, he delivered a blistering speech full of allegations about blackmail and extortion involving the Prime Minister’s Office. It’s brutal stuff for Stephen Harper’s government, and the press are having a field day. What you likely won’t read is the rich irony underlining some of […]

When Mike Duffy stood up in the Senate chamber on Tuesday, he delivered a blistering speech full of allegations about blackmail and extortion involving the Prime Minister’s Office.

It’s brutal stuff for Stephen Harper’s government, and the press are having a field day.

What you likely won’t read is the rich irony underlining some of Duffy’s zingers. Here’s a sampling:

Irony alert #1:

“This motion is something one might expect to see in Iraq or Iran or in Vladimir Putin’s Russia, but not in democratic Canada” — Duffy says to a room full of unelected people who actually pass laws – and even kill bills passed by the elected folks in the House of Commons.

Irony alert #2:

“Today you have an opportunity to stand strong and use your power to restrain the unaccountable power of the PMO” — Duffy says to a room full of unaccountable people who have been appointed to Canada’s Parliament until they turn 75. 

Irony alert #3:

“it deprives me, not only of a paycheque but of a health plan, of life insurance… Who is going to buy the heart drugs I need” — Duffy says while the Conservative government, with the support of Conservative senators, continues to fire thousands of federal public servants as part of its cost-cutting measures.

Bonus irony:

David Smith, Liberal senator and longtime party activist (who did double duty as Liberal campaign co-chair for the 2011 election), speaking out against the government’s motion. Who said the Senate isn’t a place for party hacks?

Photo: chocolatedisco. Used under a Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 2.0 licence.

Our journalism is powered by readers like you.

We’re an award-winning non-profit news organization that covers topics like social and economic inequality, big business and labour, and right-wing extremism.

Help us build so we can bring to light stories that don’t get the attention they deserve from Canada’s big corporate media outlets.

 

Donate
PressProgress
PressProgress is an award-winning non-profit news organization focused on uncovering and unpacking the news through original investigative and explanatory journalism.

Most Shared

John Rustad ANALYSIS

Take Back Alberta Leaders are Training ‘Scrutineers’ to Infiltrate Campaigns and Act as ‘Security’ on Voting Day

Related Stories

ANALYSIS

BC Conservatives are Using 2SLGBTQ+ Student Supports as a Wedge Election Issue, Experts Say

View the post
New

BC Conservative Leader John Rustad Suggests Province Would Participate in ‘Nuremberg’-Style COVID-19 Trials

View the post
Video

BC Conservative Leader John Rustad Accuses BC Premier David Eby of Being a ‘Communist’

View the post
Our free email newsletter delivers award-winning journalism directly to your inbox.
Get Canadian Investigative News You Won't Find in Corporate Newspapers.
Our free email newsletter delivers award-winning journalism to your inbox.
Get Canadian Investigative News You Won't Find in Corporate Newspapers.