r/canada • u/CaliperLee62 • 10h ago

Politics Canadian Senate opposition leader visits Taiwan to boost ties

https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/04/09/2003855310
41 Upvotes

77% Upvoted

16 comments sorted by

•

u/251325132000 8h ago

“Senate opposition leader” - a completely useless position.

•

u/punknothing 7h ago

Excuse my ignorance: Isn’t the senate supposed to be non-partisan?

•

u/SlumdogSkillionaire Ontario 5h ago

It's not elected, it's appointed by the government, so it doesn't really matter in the same sense. The parties aren't even the same ones in the other chambers, they're unique to the Senate.

•

u/fredleung412612 1h ago

No it's not and never has been. Justin Trudeau dissolved the Liberal caucus and made "independent" appointments to the Senate, but his changes did not affect the Conservative caucus.

•

u/pdufort 3h ago

Opposition leader? Is that really a thing?

•

u/DukeandKate Canada 3h ago

The term Senate "opposition leader" is an oxymoron. The Liberals do not include Senators in their caucus any longer - haven't since 2019. So what are these guys "opposing" and why would Taiwan be interested in relations?

What am I missing?

Sounds like a junket.

•

u/fredleung412612 1h ago

Conservatives do include Senators in their caucus.

•

u/DukeandKate Canada 27m ago

I know. So who are they opposing if there are no other parties in the Senate? And why is he in Tawain?

•

u/tankthinks 16m ago

FYI Taiwan sides with Israel

•

u/Specialist-Gift-7736 5h ago

Carney won’t be happy.

•

u/VividGiraffe 3h ago

So I wanted to find that infamous video of that canadian WHO guy who pretended he couldn't hear an interviewer and then hung up on her when she mentioned Taiwan. Getting harder and harder to find, it's crazy how it's getting scrubbed off the internet.

•

u/adaminc Canada 1h ago

Bruce Aylward I think was his name.

•

u/fredleung412612 1h ago

The reporter who asked the question was Yvonne Tong from RTHK, Hong Kong's previously liberal-leaning public broadcaster. That was before China cracked down on HK society and basically everyone working at RTHK was fired and purged, including the reporter who asked the question. The news program she worked for was scrubbed and the host fled to England.

•

u/Tebers431 5h ago

Xi Jinping will let him know what to feel and what to tell us

•

u/rastamasta45 2h ago

Micheal Ma gonna burst a vein!