On consistency

So let's get this straight. According to Stephen Harper, Canadians don't need to worry about a Con majority doing anything extreme because of the counterbalance offered by the Senate. But at the same time, Harper fully expects that Senate to be as inactive as possible:

"The Liberal Senate in the past was extremely unco-operative when their party wasn't in power so it's a worry," Mr. Harper said.

"I hope that better judgment will prevail and the unelected Senate will play the role that historically it has played, which has been a useful technical role, but will not try to interfere with the democratic will of the elected House."

Needless to say, Canadians shouldn't buy the second line from Harper. If he does manage to win a majority, that will have been based in part on his promise that his actions will be kept in check by the Senate as well as the courts and the civil service. And as a result of that promise, the Senate at least (as the only partisan-based body of the bunch) should hold a solid mandate to use its better judgment as needed on the legislation before it, whether or not that judgment happens to line up with Harper's.