Senate reaches a beautiful compromise

Thanks partly to our populist efforts in coming to the late rescue of our pro-RCN Senators (the early days of hearing the motion were lonely days for these honourables), Senator Rompkey did not get his CN wish, at least not yet, and hopefully never. All things considered, the good Senator's (partly misguided) motion has proved very effective in bringing attention to this issue, so we owe him a debt of gratitude for that, and for delivering the strong possibility that RCN will become a living reality.

Naval force likely to get new name
By ALTHIA RAJ, Parliamentary Bureau

OTTAWA - Canada's naval force may soon get a new name.

Senators on the national security and defence committee recommended Monday evening that the Senate adopt a motion encouraging the national defence minister to change the name of Maritime Command to a new name that includes the word "Navy".

The motion, by Liberal Senator Bill Rompkey, originally called on the minister to change the name to "Canadian Navy," a term already used by Maritime Command in much of its communication, including on its website.

The compromise position allowed senators who favour a return the navy's original name of "Royal Canadian Navy" to support Rompkey's motion.

The Senate is expected to pass the motion Tuesday, opening the door for National Defence Minister Peter MacKay to rename the naval force R.C.N. before the end of the navy's centennial year.

althia.raj@sunmedia.ca

Update: And now this report:

Call Canada's navy, a navy: Senate
By ALTHIA RAJ, Parliamentary Bureau

OTTAWA — Canada’s navy should be called a navy, senators said Tuesday.

To thunderous applause and cries of “we made history,” the Senate passed a motion urging the federal government to change the name of Canada’s naval force from Maritime Command to something with the word “navy.”

The naval force already refers to itself as “Canadian Navy” but some senators and MPs want a return to its pre-1968 name of “Royal Canadian Navy.”

“I myself would quite prefer to have it called Royal Navy,” said NPD MP Peter Stoffer. “We have the Royal RCMP, Royal Canadian Legion, why not Royal Canadian Navy?”

Stoffer said the NDP hadn’t discussed the issue in caucus and many Quebec MPs across party lines are less than supportive of the term “royal.”

NDP’s defence critic Jack Harris said he supports the term Canadian Navy.

“We don’t necessarily need to engage in divisive debates about these things, we can accommodate a change to the navy without having a divisive debate about it,” he said.

The Liberal Leader in the Senate, James Cowan, also prefers the term Canadian Navy and National Defence Minister Peter MacKay suggested Tuesday, he is also leaning that way.

“I am listening to various opinions on this but what I am hearing predominantly from the Canadian Forces, and from the Canadian Navy in particular, is they like the name Canadian Navy,” he told reporters.

The PMO quickly issued an info-alert telling Conservative supporters the government was following the debate in the Senate with interest but had “no plans to rename Maritime Command at this time.”

althia.raj@sunmedia.ca