It has sneaked up on most of Canada, but there will be a referendum this Friday in the Republic of Ireland on whether to abolish the country’s upper house, the body known as the Seanad, We know it here as the Senate. There is great discontent and dislike of the political class in Ireland following the thumping recession of recent years. There is no sympathy for the largely undemocratic Seanad and it may well be a casualty of bad times. Abolition would save an estimated $50 million in Canadian funds. As in Ottawa, those who feel the Irish Seanad is unnecessary and wasteful point to the exemplary places that have thrown out their upper chambers and are doing just fine, thank you. They would be Denmark, Sweden and New Zealand. It will be one to watch for on Friday.
An expert panel has concluded the girders used in building Windsor’s Herb Gray Parkway are unsafe. The Independent Expert Review was convened over the summer, after concerns were raised that the support beams used in the $1.4-billion parkway project were not manufactured to code. Their conclusions were made public Wednesday. “With various violations in the design and construction requirements and the uncertainties in the construction of these girders, the IER can not unequivocally opine that the girders are safe and durable,” said the report. “In fact, there is evidence that safety and durability of the girders have been compromised.” Independent Expert Review
