Supreme Court Appointment (en francais)

I've been reading and watching a lot of what is being said in the MSM, blogs and message boards regarding this subject. The following is something I posted at FD in response to a long running thread regarding party policy. I thought it was worthwhile to blog about.

People should always listen very carefully to what Stephen Harper says. His first goal is to pass the top five priorities. That will take a great deal of focus to accomplish.

The Supreme Court appointement was not the place to fight a battle so early on in the government. He has set a precedent of an all party committee review, choosing from the Liberals short list simplifies the process and reduces complaints. The important factor is that a public review process has been established.

Look forward. I wonder just how many Superior and Appeal Court appointments are coming up over the next 2 years? One will be made to fill the spot left open by the Supreme Court pick.

With the precedent already set for public hearings, the government has time to plan and prepare for a more open and honest process from the very beginning to the actual selection.

Everyone seems to be focused on the "one" opportunity in the next 7 years. Look beyond that one appointment. Where do the majority of Supreme Court Justices get picked from?

The politicization of the process starts at the initial drafting of the list and the subsequent paring down to a short list. The Liberals put a semblance of a process in place to draft these lists, the problem was it was still conducted in secret. Look for Harper to come up with a process that is open, transparent and public. Once that is in place, I can see a final move to free votes in Parliament.

It's barely been three weeks since the swearing in of this government. We can't be expecting knock out punches every time the government makes a move. Change is a marathon race, not a sprint.

For another similiar view, see Let it Bleed's 'Getting There'