Reality Check: Conservatives offer up phony excuse for Senate appointments

Today, the Harper Conservatives are trying to cover up Stephen Harper’s latest broken promise to never appoint Senators with the excuse that these five new Conservatives will help advance their justice bills.

But the reality is that the Conservative Party has done more to frustrate their own so-called “crime agenda” through repeated prorogations than anyone else.

Today’s Conservative press release says:

"The Prime Minister's action has not only brought additional talent and expertise to the Senate; it has greatly strengthened our efforts to move forward on our tackling-crime agenda."

The Facts

When it prorogued the House of Commons in December, the Prime Minister killed 15 of his own justice bills.

Stephen Harper did the exact same thing in 2007. Proroguing Parliament then killed five of the Conservative’s justice bills, which they had to restart from first reading when the House resumed.

But don’t take our word for it. Listen to Stephen Harper’s newest Senator from Quebec:

“[Victims’ rights activist Pierre-Hugues] Boisvenu says his group was disappointed after the prorogation of Parliament earlier this month scrapped bills that would have called for tougher measures on crime.” – CanwestNews Service, 25 September 2007