My Words on Senate Reform

Another small step for democratic reform in Canada, as Prime Minister Harper, in front of a rare media-attended caucus meeting, announced the tabling of a bill to consult the voters in plebiscites for the appointment of senators .

This is just another positive step for the Conservative government, as they continue checking off things that they've promised to do during their campaign and maintain their principled approach to governance.
I've always been for democratic reform in the senate, and even struggled with supporting proportional representation for a while before firmly entrenching myself in the first past the post camp. Let's face it, the senate is an archaic institution that has long lost its function as the sober second thought for Canada. Recently in Canadian political history, it has basically become a Liberal party filibuster machine, to be activated should the Liberals ever not hold the House of Commons.

The Senate lacks legitimacy, and it lacks accountability. Canadians demand better in the 21st century, and an unelected senate is a vestige of the 19th. Let me be clear: constitutional wrangling is not an option we want to deal with right now, and this is why incremental, bite-sized reform is necessary for the Conservatives right now, especially considering their minority situation. This is a necessary first step that will gradually establish an elected Senate as the norm. Combined with the bill limiting the amount of time Senators may stay in the senate, in the future it may be quite possible that changing the constitution vis-à-vis the senate will simply be a formality that reinforces an idea that has long been devoid of contention.

The bill will pass, lest the Liberal wish to appear undemocratic to the people of Canada, and the Conservatives will continue to govern the way they have been governing - using a principled and united approach.