OTTAWA — A group of senators tried to secure Senate money for a Canada 150 medals program Thursday, months after the National Post reported the Liberal government was cancelling a federally-funded program.
But plans for an initial run of 5,000 medals saw a major setback after a motion put to the Senate’s internal economy, budgets and administration committee to approve $558,750 in funding failed after a tie vote.
Models of the medals were circulated around the room while Liberal senator Serge Joyal and Conservative senator David Wells presented their plans, made in collaboration with independent senator Patricia Bovey and Conservative senator Betty Unger.
Joyal said, “you will know the quality of the making of the medal,” and the Royal Canadian Mint would be producing them.
A Senate “table medal,” Wells explained, would provide senators with an opportunity to recognize people in their communities who had made “meaningful contributions” to their communities, provinces or the country as a whole.
I’m particularly concerned about the price… I don’t know how the Senate could defend this initiative in the eyes of the public.
The project’s budget, Wells explained, would include administration costs, the medals themselves, presentation cases and certificates.
Each senator was to get 30 medals and each senior Senate administrator was to get 10 medals, in addition to extras. Costs are estimated at $100 for the bronze and $325 each for the silver. “It’s a lot of money,” Conservative senator Elizabeth Marshall said.
Independent senator Sabi Marwah suggested senators could pay with their office budgets, instead.
Liberal senator Percy Downe said he thought the government was making “a mistake of historical proportions,” given Canada’s long history of issuing commemorative medals at important anniversaries.
Heritage Minister Melanie Joly never offered a concrete reason why the government is not pursuing a Canada 150 medals program, which was initiated by Stephen Harper’s Conservative government. Extensive planning had already been undertaken before Joly’s cancellation.
But Downe explained he felt the optics would not be good if the Senate spent taxpayer money on the program.
“I’m not convinced the Senate in isolation should be doing this. I’m particularly concerned about the price, and the cost. I don’t know how the Senate could defend this initiative in the eyes of the public,” Downe said.
He added the Senate has had a difficult few years. “I think proceeding with this at this time, in isolation of anyone else doing it, would make us a target again.” Downe added he would “certainly reconsider” if a proposal came forward to have both MPs and senators giving out medals.
Those three were among those who decided the money wasn’t a good idea. Ultimately, the vote was defeated on a tie of six-to-six, with three abstentions. No party lines were followed — there were Conservatives, Liberals and independents on both sides of the argument.
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