Before Mr Trudeau's half-digested Senate reforms we had an appointed if largely powerless Senate that was, through party discipline, under control of the elected Commons. It provided "sober second  thought" that our elected officials could accept or refuse.  It would be nice to elect saints but people being people that is rarely possible.  We need to keep a close watch and get rid of elected officials as necessary through the ballot box. We no longer have that ability when it comes to the upper chamber.  The gov't thought it had found the key to senate reform by appointing only saints.  Unfortunately there are no saints, only regular fallible individuals with all the capacity for corruption as anybody else.  The government, as the article points out, has done a foolish, dangerous thing.  How the media that fussed and staggered for months over the petty foibles of Senators missed the absurdity of an unelected, uncontrollable Senate demonstrates their real limitations.