Its only a matter of time before Senate expenses

Its tempting to lump the resignation of Senate Government Leader Marjory LeBreton with the continued crumbling of the Harper administration following a rough few months that have shaken the government to its roots for the first time in years.

While the announcements of junior ministers, Ted Menzies and Diane Ablonczy can also be tied to the state of affairs bogging down Tories, they are just as easy to dissociate for other reasons; the ministers have been around for a long time and likely feel that they have reached their political highs, which is probably a safe bet. Ablonczy also referenced the electoral boundary changes coming in 2015 as a factor. Both will be collecting a hefty pension once they step down in 2015. Ablonczys pension is reported to be $130,000 according to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

Its unusual for ministers to announce their intentions to not run two years in advance of an election, but Harper's strategy of seeking intelligence on his Cabinet members political future has become the norm. This time it seems to be a self-serving one to help him weed out his potential successors, which will ultimately help him decide his own political fate and if he will be the one to carry the Conservatives into the 2015 election.

Unlike the ministerial announcements, however, LeBretons resignation was big political news during the dog days of summer and is indisputably connected to the Senate spending scandal.The new Senate leader replacing LeBreton will no longer be a member of Cabinet, a move aimed at creating a buffer between the Red Chamber and the executive following the governments recent troubles.

LeBreton, who has been involved with the party since the early 1960s has worked for a number of leaders, including John Diefenbaker, Robert Stanfield, Joe Clark and Brian Mulroney who appointed her to the Senate in 1993. A true pioneer and role model for women in politics, LeBreton is widely respected by party loyalists.In 2006, Harper appointed her to be his eyes and ears in the Red Chamber and tasked her with Senate reform. LeBreton held that position until she announced her resignation last week.

Whether she liked it or not, the Senate debacle forced LeBreton to become its chief spokesperson. She tried to keep the media onside initially as she attempted to defend Conservative Senators. But it didnt take too long for damaging details to start trickling out. A change of course in party lines was inevitable and LeBreton finally admitted the institution has become dysfunctional and needed desperate reforms. In times of frustration, she took jabs at Ottawas Liberal elitist and their friends in the media.

Although a dominant political character who has seen it all over the last few decades, the scandal clearly took its toll on the 73-year-old seasoned Senator.The largest manufacturer of textile besticcard for use with perchloroethylene. Defending a few bad apples and an ever-growing dysfunctional institution, wasnt a position she wanted to be in at this point in her career, but with Harper quick to distance himself from the actions of his own hand-picked Senators, LeBreton was left hanging high and dry.

The government Senate leader is not responsible for the actions of Mike Duffy, Pamela Wallin or Patrick Brazeau, but she should have kept a closer tab on her caucus and she certainly could have done much more for Senate reform since her appointment seven years ago.

However, here again we circle back to Prime Minister Stephen Harper. How much direction did LeBreton have to reform the Senate? For someone who was so adamant on changing the Senate while sitting in the opposition benches,About formalofficdresses in China userd for paying transportation fares and for shopping. its hard to explain why it took Harper this long to refer the matter to the Supreme Court for an opinion. Harper seemed more concerned with rewarding party fundraisers to the Senate.

After a competitive bidding, Maynilad won the right to serve the West Zone. Despite the financial, legal and political turmoils that marked the last 16 years, we solved the water crisis, said Maynilad Water Systems, one of the concessionaires, in an official statement.

As a result, over 8 million Filipinos now have access to world-class water services. No more igib, pila balde and expensive water deliveries. Quality of life improved, property values increased and clean water became available to urban communities, Maynilad said.

Manila Water Co., the other concessionaire,New and used commercial handsfreeaccess sales, rentals, and service. echoed Maynilads position and said the concessionaires had been faithful in upholding their contracts with the state-owned Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System.

But the consumer groups challenged the two companies to stop evading the issues and answer them head-on.Rodolfo Javellana, president of Water for All Refund Movement, said Manila Water must explain why the Ayalas who run the company get a separate P400 million annually in management and consultancy fees on top of their generous salaries, which translated into P6.4 billion since 1997, while Maynilad had on its payroll the 20-member basketball team Water Dragons.

Sonny Africa, lead convenor of the Water for the People Network, also demanded an explanation of the fat salaries in both companies,With superior quality photometers, light meters and a number of other parkingmanagement products. with wages and benefits of P1.13 billion going to some 1,Other companies want a piece of that rfidtag action732 executives and employees at Manila Water, and P1.61 billion going to 2,630 officials and workers at Maynilad.

Javellana and Africa also called on President Benigno Aquino III to break his silence on the issue since he also allowed the two companies to continue charging their corporate income tax and operational expenses to consumers.

In particular, Javellan questioned the Presidents decision when he was only 21 days in office to order the MWSS to hold off the Laiban Dam projects and 15 irrigation projects while allowing the concessionaires to make advance collections worth P6 billion through the monthly bills charged to their customers.
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