Canadian Senator Touts Apparently Invalid Doctorate, Unaccredited Master's

Discussion in 'Accreditation Discussions (RA, DETC, state approva' started by Jonathan Whatley, May 5, 2014.

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  1. Jonathan Whatley

    Jonathan Whatley Well-Known Member

    Members of the Senate of Canada are appointed by the Prime Minister serving at the time of their appointment. Until 1965 Canadian Senators had life tenure; since 1965, new Senators have had tenure until mandatory retirement on their 75th birthday. The position is widely seen as a patronage post – a very generous one.

    Senator Meredith was appointed to the office by current Prime Minister Stephen Harper in 2010. If Meredith doesn't retire or isn't removed (removal is possible only in extremis), he'll remain in the office for the next twenty-five years.

    Tory Senator Don Meredith Touts Degrees From Unaccredited Schools (Zi-Ann Lum, Huffington Post Canada, May 5, 2014)
     
  2. RAM PhD

    RAM PhD Member

    Per his church website, Meredith is an alumnus of the prestigious California State Christian University.
     
  3. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    I know they were singing about liars on the other side of the ideological map, but I'm still reminded of Chumbawumba's song One By One:

    Leader of the union
    All of our questions he ignored
    He washed his hands
    And he dreamt of his reward
    A seat in the House of Lords
     
  4. nosborne48

    nosborne48 Well-Known Member

    What does a Canadian Senator actually DO, anyway?

    Well, Johann?
     
  5. CalDog

    CalDog New Member

    Don't they play hockey ?
     
  6. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    They uh - get paid, I guess - and very well, too. But sometimes, that doesn't seem to be enough. They get about $130,000 a year plus perks, living allowance, a kick-ass pension, a "special" health-care program not for us common folk - and generous expenses.

    Here's an article on the "Senate spending scandal."

    Canadian Senate expenses scandal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    A partial quote:

    "Senators Mike Duffy, Mac Harb, Pamela Wallin, and Patrick Brazeau claimed travel and housing expenses from the Senate for which they were not eligible. As a result, the Auditor General of Canada began investigating the expense claims of the entire Senate. Duffy, Wallin, and Harb eventually repaid the ineligible amount. Harb retired a few months into the scandal, and in November 2013, Duffy, Wallin, and Brazeau were suspended from the Senate without pay. The affair has attracted much public attention, with as many as 73% of Canadians following it closely."

    Incidentally, suspended Senator Patrick Brazeau has been making ends meet by taking a job as day manager of a strip club.

    Patrick Brazeau - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    Prime Minister Harper's Chief of Staff, Nigel Wright, resigned after it became apparent he had written a personal cheque for about $90,000, so that Sen. Mike Duffy could repay living allowances that were disallowed. The RCMP indicated that there was no basis for a criminal charge and closed their investigation.

    Nigel S. Wright - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    The news of Senator Don Meredith's "degrees" pales in comparison. As Senate-related stories go, I don't think it's in the top 10. But hey, our crack-smoking Mayor of Toronto made it to Jimmy Kimmel's show! Go, Rob Ford! I doubt Don Meredith can top that.

    I heard today that Rob Ford was turned back from Chicago the other day, after landing there to enter rehab. (I'm serious.) His lawyer says Rob is "100% in Rehab" but the location was not disclosed.

    Johann
     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 6, 2014
  7. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Yeah, they do -- but they also box against MPs for charity. Here's suspended Senator Patrick Brazeau again, in slightly happier days. He was TKO'd in a charity match by M.P. Justin Trudeau, son of the late former Prime Minister, Pierre Elliott Trudeau.

    Justin Trudeau scores major upset in Fight for the Cure boxing match over Patrick Brazeau | National Post

    The Hon. Mr. Trudeau is now leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, a post his father held from 1968 until his retirement from politics in 1984.

    Johann
     
  8. Jonathan Whatley

    Jonathan Whatley Well-Known Member

    A politician so disreputable he can't set foot in Chicago. Lovely.

    The Canadian political party I support, the NDP, has called since its founding for the Senate to be abolished.
     
  9. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Gasp! You support the NDP? Don't worry, Jonathan - I still like you, anyway! :smile:

    Good luck to the NDP - or anyone else - with that! Even the mighty Stephen Harper can't abolish the Senate, or even reform it by his own efforts, per the Supreme Court.

    ‘Significant reform and abolition are off the table’: Stephen Harper ‘disappointed’ by Supreme Court Senate reform decision | National Post

    A partial quote: "And to abolish the Senate, the court held that the unanimous agreement of all provinces is needed, and even the agreement of the Senate itself."

    Yeah, now that's likely to happen!

    Johann
     
  10. nosborne48

    nosborne48 Well-Known Member

    Abolish the Senate? Perish the Thought!

    I remember reading somewhere that Quebec tends to support both the Monarchy and the Federal Senate because they believe that these institutions serve to restrain the strong Canadian tendency toward Anglicization.

    The idea of any Canadian tendency being "strong" appeals to me...but I think I see their point. Neither institution really governs but they do both have considerable influence over the direction of the country. More to the point, neither institution is particularly subject to popular pressure.

    Anyway, sorry for the hijack. Canadian constitutional law fascinates me.

    EDIT: Interestingly, no Province has a Senate.
     
  11. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    There's a delightful irony in wanting to keep the British monarchy in charge as a way to prevent being Anglicized.

    I suppose that's because Canada is theoretically a federation of provinces which are themselves unitary? But the U.S. approach was certainly different, the states wholesale copied the federal model of a bicameral legislature and separation of powers (with the lone exception of Nebraska's unicameral legislature).
     
  12. Jonathan Whatley

    Jonathan Whatley Well-Known Member

    Historically I can see the case for this. I wouldn't say this has reflected sentiment in Quebec since at least the Quiet Revolution of the 1960s.

    cf., the "Quiet Revolution." :)
     
  13. Jonathan Whatley

    Jonathan Whatley Well-Known Member

    6 of the first 7 provinces to join Confederation, and the tenth, did have upper chambers in their provincial legislatures, but all were eventually abolished.
     
  14. nosborne48

    nosborne48 Well-Known Member

    State Senates

    Some of the State Senates predate the U.S. constitution. Both groups were making a sort of amalgam of the UK House of Lords and the classical Roman Senate.

    I've done enough state level politics in the last few years to have an opinion about this...here in New Mexico, the State Senate is a useful check on the State House tendency to chase after the next shiny thing. If anything, I would prefer that our Senators be elected to six year staggered, rather than four year identical, terms. I'd follow the Federal model. I'd also like to see revenue bills come only from the House rather than from either body as it is now.

    Even as things are, though, I have gained a lot of respect for our State Legislature. If I ever retire, I might run myself.
     
  15. Jonathan Whatley

    Jonathan Whatley Well-Known Member

    Draft! Draft!
     
  16. nosborne48

    nosborne48 Well-Known Member

    Daft! Daft!

    Interesting...Nebraska got to its unicameral legislature by eliminating its LOWER House, not its Senate!
     
  17. Ted Heiks

    Ted Heiks Moderator and Distinguished Senior Member

    Maybe they think that Chicago already has so many home-grown disreputable politicians that they don't need to import more.
     
  18. nosborne48

    nosborne48 Well-Known Member

    Restraint of trade

    I don't think Chicago is permitted to discriminate against corrupt Canadian politicians in favor of its local product. I'm almost sure that's a violation of NAFTA.
     
  19. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    It wasn't anyone representing Chicago. I believe it was the border security folks who convinced him to withdraw his entry request. I think Ford's publicly-admitted crack use may have had something to do with it. Border people don't like druggies. And in case Rob Ford is reading this, neither do I.

    As far as NAFTA goes - if the U.S. admitted corrupt Canadian politicians willy-nilly, wouldn't they have to do the same for corrupt Mexican politicians? That's scary! Do you really want a "connected" Mexican politician inviting Los Zetas to run Chicago?

    Narcocorridos, decapitados... :sad:

    Johann
     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 8, 2014
  20. nosborne48

    nosborne48 Well-Known Member

    I'm just pointing out that we live in a globalized economy these days. If Canada can provide a cheaper, higher quality corrupt politician than our more traditional domestic producers, i.e. Chicago, there is no good reason why U.S. citizens should have to pay more for the domestic product.

    Get with the Program, Johann!
     

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