The recent scandals involving senators offer more reasons to question the Senate's continued existence. Senators currently control investigations into other senators' ethics, spending, attendance and actions overall. Enforcement of the rules, and the rules are very weak and/or there are no penalties for violations in most cases. This is a completely ineffective system undermined by rampant conflicts of interest -- and senators are not even talking about changing it.
While there are many proposals to reform the Senate, they all leave or create more problems than they solve, and all require changes to the Constitution (as Prime Minister Harper will soon learn when the Supreme Court of Canada rules on his reference case) -- so abolishing the Senate is no more difficult than any other option.
An elected Senate will result in gridlock with the House, as happens in the U.S., because both bodies will have the democratic legitimacy to reject each other's proposals. And term limits for senators will not solve any of the Senate's many other accountability problems.
The Senate supposedly exists to provide a "sober second thought" review of House bills, but many senators are on the boards of big businesses and so are essentially inside-government lobbyists -- again a system undermined by rampant conflicts of interest.
As well, the Senate has never developed a new proposal that was not already being advocated by some think-tank or advocacy organization -- so it is not needed to generate new policy ideas in any area.
Finally, the Senate is supposed to balance the representation of Canada's regions in the federal Parliament. This goal could easily be achieved by increasing the number of seats from some regions in the House of Commons. This would go against the democratic principle of representation by population, but so does an elected Senate, and in any case in a federation like Canada that principle is always ignored somewhat in order to fulfill the goal of ensuring all regions are well-represented.
For all these reasons, the most simple, least costly, and therefore best solution is to abolish the Senate and incorporate more regional representation into the House of Commons.
If Prime Minister Harper had initiated a broad consultation seven years ago to make these changes, instead of playing games by introducing so-called Senate reform bills again and again but doing nothing to move them through Parliament, we would be much closer to the goal of having an equal, elected and effective Parliament (which has always been the goal of Senate reform).
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Mike Whitfield
It's quite absurd though that a group who cannot even follow their own rules, makes decisions on the rules that everyone else has to live under.
http://sen.parl.gc.ca/senproactivedisclosure/Document%5CFinancialStatement2010-2011_E.PDF
perhaps if legislation would be reviewed by the senate(naturally more bipartisan) before a bill is introduced into the house we would have more cooperation amongst the parties rather than what we are seeing now within the house.
End this democratic abomination!
The British House of Lords has became in Canada a house of rather dubious representatives of the nation, let alone the electorate. Senators are often members of ethnic or regional groups needed to be appeased or incensed who, most of the time, end up representing only themselves. Or big business lobbyists, whose interests have little to do and sometimes go against those of the population at large.
However, I am very much in doubt that it will soon be abolished. Canada has a history of quiet evolution that has achieved slow but progressive change within the framework of institutional stability and conservative formality. We are fiercely independent, yet members of the commonwealth, with a foreigner as the formal head of state.
Our history is one of slow yet continuous reform which has made us similar, yet so different to the USA. We will all agree to abolish this arcane institution, but we will all remain at peace if it stays there.
To me , the best way for it to become effective is if it were reconstituted on the same basis as the Supreme Court . Members should be appointed by a non-partisan committee of MP's . The number of Senators should be limited , perhaps two from each province and territory , but certainly far less than currently is the practice . Those chosen should be non -partisan and have demonstrated the ability to think critically on the policies , laws and programs or any issue being debated in the House . They should have the authority and responsibility to suggest changes on on submission to them , which then must be debated by the MP's .
This country badly needs a new system of government based upon consensus ; one dedicated to the needs of the Canadian people as a whole , not special interests , particularly not corporate interests which have far too much control over the political process . A non-partisan , equal Senate could be a useful body .
Let's do it, the sooner the better, so that all the senators can find other work like real work a.s.a.p.
The RED chamber could be used as a br#&+l for all the h#^%&rs that are already on the hill.
The income would be a real windfall and the national debt would be paid off in no time.
I am very politically in-correct.
piekeboe12
What we need is a Senate made up of real Canadian's, not one of politician's & their supporters. To achieve that end I propose a national lottery to determine Senators. All registered voters have their name included in the lottery, the number of Senators required for each Province is drawn from that Provinces registered voter pool. All Senator's currently get training, no qualifications exist, so there's no reason any Canadian couldn't be a Senator.
As for reforms, I am certain every Province would agree to changes that would correct these excesses. Thus solving the Constitutional problem. A Provincial government not supporting changes to fix these problems would not be viewed in a very good light by it's citizens.
I could draw up such a document with the proper changes that nobody would contest, I am certain many others could do the same. Our political parties of course wouldn't like it but I'm not asking them to like anything. The Senate is for all Canadian's not political parties.
The Senate is needed, the problem is it has been broken for so long Canadian's don't know what a real Senate is like.
I agree with Pjtycm that we already possess more than enough levels of elected officials nursing off the taxpayers teat. A council formed with each Premier and Territorial Leader is more than sufficient "sober, second thought" and representative of the various regions of the country.