Harper Appoints elected Senator amid Opposition objections
Stephen Harper announced in Question Period today that he would appoint Alberta farmer Bert Brown to the Senate when Liberal Senator Dan Hayes retires this summer.
Brown, a long-time advocate for Senate reform, was elected twice in Alberta, most recently in 2004 as a one of four ‘Senator-in-waiting’ from the province.
Brown will be Canada’s second elected Senator, following Stan Waters who was appointed by Brian Mulroney in 1989 after being elected Senator-in-waiting in Alberta. No other province has elected Senators-in-waiting.
Advertisement
The liberals always use the constitution as a scapegoat to try to make their arguments valid. Dion, B.C. and Alberta would get MORE senators under Harper’s plan, and for once canadians could choose their senators. There is NOTHING, NOTHING, NOTHING wrong we having an elected senate, but in this clip Dion sounds like an elected senate means the end of Canada, he’s just scared because once we do get an elected senate, the Liberals will FINALLY be tossed out!
Cnd1867
June 22, 2009 at 10:58 am
View the US equivalent to the Canadian Liberal Party by googling : obama campaign linked to chechen terrorism
fthrcast
December 30, 2008 at 12:06 am
Oh Dion are you afraid that canadians will throw your useless senators out of the senate and replace them with fresh new conservative senators
Cnd1867
November 24, 2008 at 5:37 pm
Radical-wing
that is a good idea, you should write a letter to Harpie.
I think we need to have the Senate, then the Bloc would haev no reason to exist as an elected senate would address regional (especially as Quebec is its own region) issues and provincials issues as it was designed to do….just need elected officals is all.
RimlandThesis
September 7, 2008 at 7:23 am
There’s one simple, effective change that could be achieved without any need for legislation or constitutional reform: let the Governor-General appoint Senators on the advice of the Provincial Premiers, not the Prime Minister. It would not be any more “democratic”, but it would spread out the power of patronage and represent a broader cross-section.
RadicalWhig
September 3, 2008 at 10:16 am
We’re not talking about proportional representation for the Commons Jack, we’re talking about the SENATE, it’s a whole different room, and position. Dion says it would be bad for alberta and B.C., so Stephane, having more representation in the senate is BAD for alberta and B.C. or is it just that Liberals wouldn’t always have a majority in the senate like you want them to. And another thing, why is it that whenever the liberals are threatened the mention or bring in the constitution or charter
Cnd1867
August 23, 2008 at 10:59 am
Rona Ambrose is hot.
go4john
June 14, 2008 at 12:57 pm
Also abolishing the senat would be a resipy for disaster we need the senat so that we have people to revew the proposed bills for a second sober thoght and the senat sould represent the interasts of the provences
bradwhitcombe
May 3, 2008 at 8:29 pm
i personaly think that we keep the senate, and that we have senate elections with the people that are choson canadats based on sertin merits by each party, then elect them to represent the provenses
bradwhitcombe
May 3, 2008 at 8:12 pm
The Liberals have but one goal, that is to beat the Conservatives and nothing else matters till they do.
pspboy7
April 22, 2008 at 1:53 pm
LOL, is there anything that the other parties do agree with the PM on. Shame, crying shame. There is too much party loyalty and not enough loyalty and/or faith to the elected leader (PM). True democracy is not just about winning elections you know.
pspboy7
April 22, 2008 at 1:52 pm
“why would the liberals oppose this, they are such a bunch of corrupt aholes”
Because opening up the idea of an elected Senate means opening up the entire Constitution for scrutiny, which eventually leads to reopening the Quebec issue. It’s currently just not worth raking the country through the coals over Quebec, again, in order to reform the Senate. I voted yes towards an elected Senate in the poll because one day I’d like to see such an eventuality, however not before dealing with Quebec’s place in Confederation.
PostmanPat
April 17, 2008 at 11:27 pm
why would the liberals oppose this, they are such a bunch of corrupt aholes
silverbullet902
March 31, 2008 at 4:52 am
You might be interested to check out Harper’s speech to the Australian parliament where he talks about the elected Australian senate.
YouTube video uxuINgcHFzo .
PrimarySource888
March 5, 2008 at 7:15 am
Yeldarb4: “My preference would be to abolish the Senate, as they have done in Australia.”
Bullshit. Australia has a senate elected on a system of proportional representation. Its role is similar to that of the Senate under the British Parliamentary system which Australia and Canada share.
I am no expert on Australian affairs (clearly, an attribute that we share), but to the best of my knowledge there is little controversy over the relevance of the nation’s Senate.
Next time, check your facts.
AlienCollective
March 4, 2008 at 5:13 pm
abolish the senate?!
1. We have a constitution which I will die to protect
2. the house of commons owes it’s voters and will thus think in terms of what pleases the living; the unelected senate has no such dept and so may think of the best interested of future generations
3. two houses makes it more difficult to pass new laws; since people are used to the laws we currently have it is best not to pass new ones if they aren’t noticably better.
noahDG83
December 6, 2007 at 12:28 pm
Personally, I think we need one of two things: 1) reform the Senate or 2) Abolish it. Personally, I think a Triple-E Senate, combined with an MMP (Mixed-Member Proportional) system in the House of Commons is what we truly need!
This way, provinces big and small, in addition to minorities like the Greens, would be represented in both chambers!
jwlnler
November 14, 2007 at 7:16 am
My preference would be to abolish the Senate, as they have done in Australia. My second preference would be for an equal and elected Senate.
Yeldarb4
September 10, 2007 at 6:23 pm
I smell Liberal fear and hear Liberal fearmongering.
baird007
August 22, 2007 at 7:39 pm