Canadian Senate Reform : Harper Plans Fake Elections
December 14th, 2006 | by MadHacktress |The term that the bill will use for the fake elections is plebiscite, which is actually a referendum.
I have long been a proponent of Senate reform, and have written about my ideas for Senate reform and just been a general blow-hard before. I think that it is something that is important and necessary for the future of the Senate. It is something that will help to make our federal government more accountable, more effective and more balanced.
The sober second thought that an Upper House is charged with has long rather been a sober rubber stamp in Canada’s case. Harper’s plan, which would poll residents of the province or territory where a Senate vacancy occurred, is a step in the right direction.
While I would much prefer to see a real change in the Constitution which created a Triple-E Senate, we know that amending the Constitution of Canada is an extremely unlikely endeavour. In today’s climate that just begs for the Quebecoise nation crap to get Constitutionalized.
While Senate elections wouldn’t be my first motion for Senate reform, it is something that brings the discussion to the table. My own first motion would be to alter the composition of the Senate in such a way that it would become an effective nationally representative body.
Currently the Senate is built in very much the same way as the House of Commons. There is roughly proportional representation of the provinces and territories in the Senate, which makes it a body equally biased by regional affiliation as the House.
My view of the Senate would include roughly equal representation of the provinces and territories, ideally 6 Senators per province and two per territory. This makes the Senate a body which equally represents the interests of Ontario, Quebec and Prince Edward Island - each as a province, each with an equal stake in the nation as a whole.
Now, I guess I should back up my claim that Harper’s elections are fake. The reason that they’re fake is that the appointment to the Senate is still going to be an appointment by the Governor General, the only difference is that the Prime Minister - who makes the recommendation to the GG - will be directed by the plebiscite to choose who the public wants.
It’s unclear at this time whether the bill will merely recommend that the Governor General name who the province chooses, or whether she will be somehow compelled to make the decisions. Somehow I doubt that the bill can be written with enough teeth to force the GG to make the appointment as demanded.
I wouldn’t be a Liberal - or a liberal - if I didn’t find at least a little bit of a problem with Harper’s plan. My problem, of course, is the fact that this is a band-aid solution. The right way to fix the Senate is to alter the Constitution. Fundamental changes such as this need to begin at the most fundamental level, that means changing the process from the bottom up not somewhere in the middle.
Still, I look forward to hearing more about the proposed changes that will hopefully bring us closer to a Tripe-E Senate. I am certain that, sooner or later, we will get there.
Entry Filed under: General, In The News
I have long thought that the senate was a joke and should be abolished. I am happy to see that at least Harper (unlike previous leaders) is trying to do something about it. I really like the ideas you have about the senate. It hurts me that you are liberal ;)