The Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper
Prime Minister of Canada
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa K1A 0A2
Fax: 1-613-941-6900
E-mail: pm@pm.gc.ca
15 February 2006
Dear Sir,
Congratulations on your accession to the prime ministership. I wish you the
highest success in your new role.
I fully support your initiative during the election campaign on the issue
of electing the senate of Canada. As a long-time supporter of ‘triple E’
senate reform, I am not a complacent or indifferent Ontarian, as some outlets
of the media, or for that matter, the elites of this country seem to report
when it comes to reforming the upper house. Many of those in this province
(or for that matter, Quebec) who seem to like an unreformed, non-elected
and unaccountable senate could not even tell me who their ‘local’ senator
is, or what any our 24 members have achieved. For the record, while I was
a resident of Markham, I knew my ‘local’ senator was Norman Atkins, who for
the record was not particularly a major presence on the local scene. As a
resident of Kitchener, I am unsure who represents Waterloo region in the
upper house, even though the most of upper house‘s constituencies per se
seem to be provinces and territories ‘at large‘.
A house of parliament in a western democracy should not be treated as some
minor or even major government board or committee, or even the diplomatic
corps - it is a legitimate legislative body that should have its membership
decided upon by the people, not at the whim of the head of the federal government
at any given time. It is deeply embarrassing, as Canada is a modern democratic
nation that seems to be so far behind in making such an overhaul to its national
government, and does not seem, in the eyes of observers, to be willing to
take the plunge.
For those who oppose the Australian model as a basis for reforming the senate,
(which I believe is the best model for reform, given our common Westminster
system of parliamentary democracy) giving the usual rhetoric of ‘that’s not
the Canadian way’ I also say that this is not the time for narrow-minded,
inward-looking nationalism. As mentioned, Canada must practise what it preaches
when it comes to democracy, and should at least take a look at an example
from an equal sibling of the Commonwealth. And while I am a supporter and
have been a defender of British-style institutions in Canada, I am fully
aware of the ‘Elect the Lords’ movement, indicating that while anyone can
be made a peer, to legitimately sit and vote in parliament on major national
issues, one should ‘get on the ballot’.
Also to ignore is the opposition to senatorial election from those senators
appointed, past or present, who are from areas where at certain times the
only protection they seem to have had as members of a certain political party
were the ‘game laws’, if I can use John Diefenbaker’s words. More to the
point, such arrogance has helped to taint the very existence of the upper
house, giving it the reputation of a cushy, anonymous, not-so-productive
club. Furthermore, an senate elected by means of proportional representation
will allow minor parties or independents to have representation, should their
vote meet the minimum quota for electing a member, and would thus help to
increase the turnout for national elections. As for the ‘fear‘ of deadlock
or delay, such an event would be an inevitable consequence of parliamentary
democracy; I do not believe that an elected, multi-party senate would do
anything drastic under normal circumstances, and would thus keep executive
power ‘in check’.
I hereby recommend the issue of senate reform be brought up at the next federal-provincial
conference, since the sooner that a plan for democratic senate reform can
be drawn up and therefore acted upon, the better, as to have more time and
energy dealing with more pressing issues as they arise.
Yours very truly,
Mr. Edward Baxter