Anthem change debate gets poetic call to action in Senate

OTTAWA — Senators continue squabbling over a woebegone national anthem bill — what else is new? — with debate reaching new heights Tuesday as one leader made a rhyming statement in verse and a veteran senator deemed a notoriously blustery colleague “gentle” on the inside.

The latest quarrel revolved around an argument over whether the bill’s sponsor breached privilege by asking Conservative leader Andrew Scheer to persuade his Senate colleagues against continuing a long filibuster that has prevented a final vote.

The bill passed in the House of Commons in June 2016. It would replace the words “in all thy sons command” with “in all of us command,” to make the anthem gender-neutral.

During debate Tuesday on the latest in a parade of Conservative sub-amendments that are pushing forward an eventual vote on the legislation, Independent Sen. Grant Mitchell, who is in favour of the bill, argued in a speech that “delay has become obstruction.”

The leader of the Senate’s Independent Senators Group, Yuen Pau Woo, launched a rallying cry in verse: “Whether Yea or Nay We must seize the day Our national anthem though finely wrought Needs a sober second thought Don’t let prevarication Stop deliberation True patriot love does now command A vote on ‘sons’ or ‘us’ demand Enough procrastination Let’s call the question On guard for thee Glorious and free Honourable Senators We O Canada.” (We “owe” Canada, get it?) This received thunderous applause. Senators then decided to delay a vote on the sub-amendment.

Last week, Independent Sen. Frances Lankin wrote to Andrew Scheer advocating for the bill and asking he urge Conservative senators to proceed with a vote.

While little debate was had on the actual bill Tuesday, a point of privilege from Conservative Sen. Don Plett asked the Senate speaker to consider whether Lankin was “impeding the ability of senators to carry out their functions independently” by asking a political leader to whip senators.

His Conservative colleagues supported him. Sen. Leo Housakos, who chairs the Senate’s internal economy committee, said this was a breach of privilege “without a doubt” and an issue that “goes to the core of our parliamentary system.” On the question of whether the letter constituted “intimidation,” Sen. David Wells posited, “I don’t think it may go to the level of intimidation, but for some it might.”

The leader of the Senate Conservatives put on the record that “we are an independent group” from the Conservative caucus. “I would never send a letter to the prime minister asking him to influence one of his people. It’s not right,” Sen. Larry Smith said.

A vote on a sub-amendment to an amendment to the national anthem bill was expected Wednesday.