On finality

In trying to defend the appointment of two senators who have spent decades living outside the provinces they're supposed to represent, the Cons have repeatedly claimed that all that matters is whether the constitutional requirements are met by the time any new senators are sworn in. Which would strongly imply that the appointments themselves don't have any constitutional effect until that time either. After all, surely a senator-in-waiting can't have a confirmed right to a position at a time before one can properly assess whether the individual actually qualifies for the job.

Needless to say, that fact may be worth keeping in mind when it comes to deciding whether the cushiest patronage appointment in Canadian history should go to somebody under investigation for sexual harassment. And if the Cons managed to miss that kind of time bomb in even a high-profile appointee in their rush to stack the Senate, then it may be best for evreybody concerned if they hold off on finalizing anything until they've had time to do their homework.