The government’s new Senate reform legislation will be introduced when Parliament returns on March 3, but the Tories are being tight-lipped about the new bill.
“There will be a difference in the bill, which is all I’m prepared to say right now,” said Alberta Conservative Senator Bert Brown, who for decades has been one of the main proponents of Senate reform.
The Tories will introduce two bills, one that will seek to abolish the status quo of Senators serving until age 75 and instead would impose term-limits, and the other would put in place a process whereby Senators would be elected at the provincial level. Both initiatives have been stated objectives of the Harper government since it came to power, in 2006, but a Liberal majority in the Senate has prevented the bills from passing. The Prime Minister is expected to fill five upcoming vacancies before Parliament returns on March 3, however, which should ensure the legislation’s success.
[More]
You’ll be ablle to hear lib heads exploding from coast to coast.
What is there not to like about these proposals? The only obstacle I can envision is Canadians not being smart enough to see through all the impending negative ‘the sky is falling’ liberal spin. As far as I’m concerned, based on the fact that the Liberals still enjoy approximately the same level of support as do the Conservatives, getting these new measures passed is anything but assured.
I can see this becoming a confidence issue and possibly triggering an election. The big scare tactic the opposition may use is that Harper is trying to create an American style of govt and would then point to the recent dysfunction and divisiveness seen if the U.S. govt.
Quebec won’t support this and passage may all fall on the NDP cooperating. Harper may get his Majority yet as well as senate reform. Should be an exciting year.
Makes sense BrianC, attach an American label to it and watch the no-minds automatically flock to support the opposition’s side of the issue.
Interesting discussion going on over at the right leaning Freedominion, entitled ‘Conservatives Calling for Stephen Harper to Step Down’
Has it come to this?
http://www.freedominion.com.pa/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=127343
Senate reform – a triple E senate – the unca Mo crowd is squirming! The msm bottom feeders will be squawking their outrage on the airways. After the msm double crossing taxpayers by supporting the AGW fraud, I doubt any thinking person is giving the msm credibility on any topic. They cooked their own goose.
Thank-you PMSH for your consideration of your employers – the citizens of Canada
The proposed bill is smoke and mirrors – what reform of any possible substance can Harper possibly propose that will not require a constitutional amendment to bring into reality?
The election of Senators: Constitutional amendment required. He tried going the “if you elect them I will appoint them” route, failed miserably, and then did what he said he wouldn’t do and appointed a batch of his own Senators to so he could tip the scales in his favour exactly as he complained about previous PM’s doing…. in case you’ve forgotten it’s pretty much where the word Harper-crite came from.
Term limits: Constitutional amendment required unless the Senators agree to resign after a fixed period of time.
Power of Senate: Constitutional amendment required.
Does anyone here really think he’s going to have any luck with significant reform under the current 7/50 formula required to make Senate changes – a formula that cannot be changed without use of that same formula.
This is nothing more than a playing to his base waste of Parliamentary time on the taxpayer dime unless he’s willing to put a clear question to formal popular referendum, and then move forward if, and only if, he is given a mandate to do so.
– and that will not happen because, like every other party leader and PM he’s way more comfortable telling Canadians what’s good for them instead of asking them.
Re: #7 — I think he will “SL”. People were saying much the same when Harper was trying to unite the conservative movement.
“Never happen” they cried — but it did.
“He’ll never be PM” they moaned — but he is.
The man just keeps motoring on and funny things keep happening.
I call him the “quiet man“.
You forgot to add, Jack. He said majority and Canadians said minority.
Pingback: Stageleft: life on the left side » A Waste Of Parliamentary Time And Taxpayer Money
@Jack: And how do you propose we legally deal with that pesky constitution thing with its’ equally pesky amending formula?
I see a majority in the offing as you view unofficial online polls. To the level of between 70 and 80 percent. then things can clip along as we’d all like to see. Where public consultation is required. The reasonable way demands that and PMSH has proven in office more than capable of adopting the path of least resistance. It’s everything to do with acute management and dispensing with utter wasteful programs as what’s happened in California. Canada\s primed for this. We take it back, one step at a time. We have the required leadership and we can’t miss the opportunity. Our livelihoods depend on it. It’s that simple AND complex. Now, does anyone imagine going back to Liberal management is a way forward?? Hardly. So, naysayers better think twice, fast and hard. I don’t know the extent now of the taxation involved, but we can’t agree to go the way of California or even Detroit! Going back to Liberal loonacy is not an option.
In that movie you refer to Jack, the reasonable way wins out, but not until ‘the fight.’ It’s essentially a comedy but while the town of Innisfree is fictional, the town about five miles away, Castletown is not. It’s actually there and my father’s sister lived there. The point is the ‘good fight’ was won to everyone’s satisfaction.
So the PM should have left all those 28 seats vacant. Give your head a shake Stage.
It is the liberal opposition, and the liberal senate who are responsible for the PM having to appoint senators. They could have set term limits, or convinced their Premiers to have elections for appointment. Who know, even lizzie or an ndper could have won.
Seeing the writing on the wall, libs now are supposedly agreeing to 12 yr terms.
I think a lot of the faux scandals, harperphopia, the coalition, were all an attempt to bring down PMSH before he could appoint senators, libs have lost the fight and will now have to pay attention to how they vote. Can’t depend on lib senators to stall all bills, or change them, or put them on the back burner.
Interesting discussion of PM Harper’s proposed legislation for Senate reform. Of course the Liberals and BLOC will oppose this modest makeover of the dysfunctional Chamber Pot. However, do not expect the NDP to automatically support the legislation – if they vote with the government – then the government will not be defeated and if they oppose then they are in bed with the Coalition again. Its delicious. The PM builds another mouse trap, and the mice are nervous. Cheers.
@MaryT: shrug…. Harper was the one who said that if he was elected he wouldn’t appoint Senators – not me; I guess it comes under the heading of making promises you’re not sure you can keep ‘eh?
And how are you blaming the Senate for the various provincial/territorial jurisdictions not getting on side with his plan, just how much power do you think these guys have anyway…. and even if Liberal Senators did have that power why should they use it? Was Senate reform part of the Liberal campaign platform? Why should they, or the 62% of Canadians who did not vote CPoC in the last general election, care what Harper wants to do — because he says it’s good for them? Gods know he doesn’t seem to care very much about what they think about the matter does he?
And even if we set all of that aside, nothing you, or actually anyone, has said addresses that pesky little constitutional thing — or do you think that a Prime Minister (any Prime Minister) shouldn’t necessarily be constrained by the constitution?
PS folks: I’m off on another Arctic trip tomorrow. No politics, no blogging, no InterWebs, only sometimes email and twitter (Jack… when are you gonna take the twitter plunge anyway?) – just some good old fashioned R&R while I introduce she who makes me smile to the absolute joy that is Canada’s High Arctic so I’ll have to catch up on the discussion when I get back in a few days.