Government working on changes to Senate
By Bill Rea

York — Simcoe MP Peter Van Loan last week called Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s proposals to change the Canadian Senate “an excellent idea.”

Harper announced last Wednesday that a new government bill would be aimed at establishing a national process for consulting Canadians on their preferences for Senate appointments.

“This bill will make the Senate more democratic and more accountable,” Harper said last week in a speech to his caucus. “For the first time, it will let the prime minister give Canadians a say in who represents them in the Upper House.”

Van Loan was quick with his praise of the plan, stating anything that will make the Senate more democratic and responsive is positive.

Despite the results of any vote, the prime minister will stll be calling the shots on who gets the appointments. But Van Loan said a prime minister is not likely to call an election, and then dismiss the results.

He added this is the only way to give people a say in the selection of senators without a Constitutional amendment. “Constitutional amendments are very difficult to achieve,” he observed.

The length of a senator’s term in office is the subject of another bill, which is currently held up in the Senate. “The unelected Liberal Senate is stalling it,” Van Loan observed.

He said that bill proposes eight-year terms, while he has heard talk of 10 years, which would be better than the current limit, that allows a senator to remain in office until he or she is 75.

But Oak Ridges — Markham MP Lui Temelkovski didn’t think much of the idea, adding it’s not likely to pass. “I don’t think it will fly in a minority government,” he remarked.

He also theorized that Harper is treating Senate reform the same way he did the same-sex marriage issue; putting forth ideas that he knows won’t go anywhere, just so he can claim he tried to do something.

Temelkovski added he’s not in favour of an elected Senate. It’s supposed to provide second thoughts on legislation, and if elected, he fears it would become more interested in impressing voters.