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For a few glorious days in June, the Senate of Canada almost worked.

In so doing it put the fear of God — or at least, the West — into important people down east.

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The Red Chamber came within three votes of defeating Bill C-48, the so-called tanker moratorium, a bill so egregious in its discrimination that even some Ontario and Quebec senators caught on.

The more complex Bill C-69, the Impact Assessment Act, was also sharply challenged. It passed with Senate amendments that fell short of what many provinces preferred.

Overall, it was a close call for the centrists. The Senate was in great danger of doing the job for which it was originally conceived — defending regional interests.

After the unexpected scare, the Senate was sharply criticized for threatening bills proposed by the elected House of Commons.

This was seen as undemocratic, even though it is constitutional. The Senate is perfectly within its legal rights to send legislation to the dustbin.