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I am starting this new thread because of today’s announcement that the NDP has cancelled the Confidence and Supply Agreement; that means that we may have an election well before Oct 25.
I am assuming, based on recent polling, that the next government will be a Conservative majority regime.
I am also assuming that the Conservative Party will begin, soon, to make some concrete policy announcements that will be based on its Sep 23 Policy Declaration.
My opening shot is: Democratic Reform.
My starting point is an interesting article by John Ibbitson in today’s Globe and Mail in which he mentions the importance of the Salisbury Convention - another act by a member of the great family of my avatar. The key point of the Salisbury Convention is that the unelected Senate of Canada may NOT overrule the government on any matter that was part of its election platform.
In its Policy Declaration the Conservative Party said (page 5) “The Conservative Party supports the election of senators … [and] … The Conservative Party believes in an equal Senate to address the uneven distribution of Canada’s population and to provide a balance to safeguard regional interests.”
I believe, very firmly, that an elected Senate is important. Canada is one of the very few modern nations that still has an unelected legislative body. I also believe that a federal state needs a bicameral legislature where one chamber represents each community (constituency) (Chambre des Communes/House of Commons) while the other represents the provinces which are the “partners” in the federation.
I am far less persuaded that an equal Senate is important. I know that it works for the USA and I know that the ratio of California:Wyoming (39M:0.6M) is not too much different from the ratio of Ontario-PEI (14M:0.14M). I think Canada should have a regionally balanced Senate. The six regions are BC, the Prairies, Ontario, Québec, Atlantic Canada and The North and First Nations communities.
I think the Senate of Canada MUST consist, only, of elected members. I also think that there is an ironclad rule of Canadian politics which says that Québec never loses. I believe that Québec would, rightfully, says that it lost ground if it had the same number of senators as, say, New Brunswick or Saskatchewan. I neither know nor care what the optimum mix of elected senators is - lets say that Atlantic Canada keeps 30 and Québec and Ontario also get 30 senators each. Should the the Prairies provinces get 30 senators between them? I neither know nor do I care a great deal … BUT, in the 21st century, Canada should NOT have an unelected legislative chamber.
I believe that the Conservative Party must state, in its 2024/25 election platform, that it will press for an elected and effective Senate of Canada.
I believe that senators should be elected during each provincial general election using a proportional representation system. Individual senators may then caucus with like minded senators from other provinces. This will make the politics of the federal legislature more complex and it may, eventually, negate the need for the Salisbury Doctrine.
I am assuming, based on recent polling, that the next government will be a Conservative majority regime.
I am also assuming that the Conservative Party will begin, soon, to make some concrete policy announcements that will be based on its Sep 23 Policy Declaration.
My opening shot is: Democratic Reform.
My starting point is an interesting article by John Ibbitson in today’s Globe and Mail in which he mentions the importance of the Salisbury Convention - another act by a member of the great family of my avatar. The key point of the Salisbury Convention is that the unelected Senate of Canada may NOT overrule the government on any matter that was part of its election platform.
In its Policy Declaration the Conservative Party said (page 5) “The Conservative Party supports the election of senators … [and] … The Conservative Party believes in an equal Senate to address the uneven distribution of Canada’s population and to provide a balance to safeguard regional interests.”
I believe, very firmly, that an elected Senate is important. Canada is one of the very few modern nations that still has an unelected legislative body. I also believe that a federal state needs a bicameral legislature where one chamber represents each community (constituency) (Chambre des Communes/House of Commons) while the other represents the provinces which are the “partners” in the federation.
I am far less persuaded that an equal Senate is important. I know that it works for the USA and I know that the ratio of California:Wyoming (39M:0.6M) is not too much different from the ratio of Ontario-PEI (14M:0.14M). I think Canada should have a regionally balanced Senate. The six regions are BC, the Prairies, Ontario, Québec, Atlantic Canada and The North and First Nations communities.
I think the Senate of Canada MUST consist, only, of elected members. I also think that there is an ironclad rule of Canadian politics which says that Québec never loses. I believe that Québec would, rightfully, says that it lost ground if it had the same number of senators as, say, New Brunswick or Saskatchewan. I neither know nor care what the optimum mix of elected senators is - lets say that Atlantic Canada keeps 30 and Québec and Ontario also get 30 senators each. Should the the Prairies provinces get 30 senators between them? I neither know nor do I care a great deal … BUT, in the 21st century, Canada should NOT have an unelected legislative chamber.
I believe that the Conservative Party must state, in its 2024/25 election platform, that it will press for an elected and effective Senate of Canada.
I believe that senators should be elected during each provincial general election using a proportional representation system. Individual senators may then caucus with like minded senators from other provinces. This will make the politics of the federal legislature more complex and it may, eventually, negate the need for the Salisbury Doctrine.