Justin Trudeau needs a shake. That elitist crap he keeps coming out with about the Senate of Canada shows he needs something. We well understand that he is afraid of anything that might smack of a constitutional change but he has to realize that there are many diverse audiences to satisfy before making any change in our government even it is within the constitution.
And we are talking real change—not that elitist B.S. about an elite committee to propose elite people for the Prime Minister to appoint. Or not.
And the senate question is not one that Trudeau can sweep off his desk. Harry S. Truman said it many years ago: “The buck stops here.” And he will hardly solve this one by only appointing women. Gender equality is not the problem. The functioning of the business of the Government of Canada is the problem.
Canada’s constitution requires a senate. It is that simple and it is that complex. Change of any constitutional requirement is not impossible but it might be well above Trudeau’s skill set.
But change within the constitutional requirements is possible. As long as he does not try to change the number of senators from each province and territory, he could have an easily elected senate.
One suggestion is that Canadians learn about proportional representation through the senate. What happens is that the proportional vote of the last federal election be used for each political party (getting at least five per cent of the popular vote) to nominate senators to fill that party’s percentage of senate seats. The prime minister will be required to appoint these political people to fill the requirements for each province and territory.
And choosing politicos over elites should be obvious. The role of the senate is to review and pass on bills presented to it after passing by the House of Commons. We need senators who can understand and debate the merits or weaknesses of the bills. We need people who understand the politics involved. As a proportionally selected body it would rarely have a majority and there would have to be co-operation between parties. It would be a good place to start.
Of course there is the problem of the sitting senators. That can be left to their respective parties. Financial incentives aside, they are the parties’ problem and they should be given first crack at solving it.
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Copyright 2016 © Peter Lowry
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