Angry in the Great White North

That a senator earns his keep is not something that is said all that often.  So when a senator says things that need to be said, and speaks frankly in defense of the interests of the province he is supposed to be defending, it is noteworthy.

It shouldn't be, but then that's what's wrong with the senate, right?

In this case, Mike Duffy speaks frankly about whether Prince Edward Island ought to be aligning itself closely with Danny Williams, premier of Newfoundland and Labrador:

Duffy, who was sworn in last month as a senator representing P.E.I., was speaking Tuesday about the federal budget. Williams and Ghiz have complained that the plan includes cuts in transfer payments to their provinces.

"I was disappointed to see that our dynamic young premier in Prince Edward Island, Robert Ghiz, has climbed into bed with the premier of Newfoundland," said Duffy.

"You know what happened, what a grotesque scene that is. You know what happens when two politicians climb into bed together. One of them comes out on top and I'm afraid when you're in bed with Danny Williams, he's going to be on top."

And to think that people seriously tried to make the argument that Mike Duffy couldn't properly defend the interests of his home province.

Needless to say, Mike Duffy has been criticized.  He has withdrawn the bed metaphor (I don't know why, but there it is), but he has not withdrawn the substance of his remarks.

And for that, he is catching some heat.  Liberals are upset because the role of the senate is to act as an unelected and unaccountable backstop for a Commons caucus too fearful to face an electorate.  Instead of standing up for their convictions, Liberal MPs depend on Liberal senators to hold up legislation they don't like.

At least that's the role the Liberal senate caucus fulfilled under Stephane Dion.  Time will tell if Michael Ignatieff has a different job for Liberal senators in mind.

But based on the comments by Wayne Easter, the Liberals don't want senators who cause a stir:

Malpeque MP Wayne Easter had his own warning for Duffy on Thursday, saying the new senator needs to be more careful with his words.

"What Mr. Duffy has to recognize is that he is a senator," Easter told CBC News.

"His words are going to be watched, and that kind of disrespect shouldn't be shown in the chamber of sober second thought."

Easter said you don't expect a senator to insult two premiers in an address in the upper chamber.

What exactly was the insult?  That the interests of PEI are not served by aligning with Danny Williams?  Since when is common sense insulting?

Is it an insult to point out that Danny Williams is looking out for himself, and perhaps tangentially, looking out for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador, to the exclusion of all else?   But then repeatedly baiting the federal government is not likely to help out, now is it?  And Mike Duffy is warning PEI that if they should follow on that path, they'll be isolated as much as Newfoundland and Labrador is.

And without Newfoundland and Labrador as company, I'd wager.  Danny Williams would drop PEI like a used tissue if it suited his purposes, something that Danny Williams would prefer people not to dwell on:

In a news conference Thursday, Williams expressed his disappointment in Duffy's remarks, but added that he wasn't surprised.

"Nothing that Harper Conservatives do surprises me. I'm very disappointed in Mike Duffy as a person," he said.

"I think it's a question of the Harper Conservatives pulling Mike Duffy's strings, telling him what to say. That became very obvious to me during the election - as to his partisanship. He was very blatant in his show."

Williams said as a senator Duffy should behave in a more statesmanlike manner, and the raw kind of humour in his speech did nothing to enhance the Senate.

That's rich.  Danny Williams delicate sensibilities were offended.  Hah!

So Mike Duffy will continue to earn insults for speaking on behalf of his province, and for providing food for thought for all Canadians, both in Prince Edward Island and across the country.  Which is ironic given that not much thought has ever been given to the utterances of senate members until now.

In one week, Mike Duffy has changed that.  Not a bad start.  Not a bad start at all.  Perhaps there's hope for the Senate after all. 

Neither Danny Williams or the Liberal Party are likely to be pleased with that.  That tells me Mike Duffy is charting the right course.

The people of PEI are lucky to have him in their corner.