The author and former member of Parliament J. Patrick Boyer discusses his new book, Our Scandalous Senate (Dundurn, 2014), with Joseph Planta.

Our Scandalous Senate by J. Patrick Boyer (Dunburn, 2014). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Our Scandalous Senate

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, at TheCommentary.ca.

There’s a new book out that’s just a great read: Our Scandalous Senate. It looks at the recent news surrounding the Senate and senators Pamela Wallin, Mike Duffy, Patrick Brazeau, and Mac Harb, among others. It looks at the institution itself, whether it’s relevant, and what its future will be. Its author J. Patrick Boyer joins me now, he’s eminently qualified to talk about all this, what with the fact he’s a constitutional lawyer, a political science professor, and a former member of parliament. The book is a terrific primer on the Senate and its origins, and how it’s managed to get off the rails if you will, in the life of this country. Should the Senate be abolished? Can it be reformed? Or is it as the author entitles a chapter in this book, ‘A relic lost in orbit?’ I’ll ask those questions and more of Patrick Boyer, who was first elected to the House of Commons in 1984 as a Progressive Conservative MP in the riding of Etobicoke-Lakeshore. He was re-elected in 1988, and was defeated in 1993, as well as in 2008. He is a sought after media commentator, and has taught at a number of universities. He’s also written a great number of books. Listing all of them would take up the balance of this interview. The website for more is at http://patrickboyer.wordpress.com/, and his Twitter handle is @jpatrickboyer. This book is published by Dundurn. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Patrick Boyer; Mr. Boyer, good morning.

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