Time to Abolish the Senate

dumpthemonarchy

House Member
Jan 18, 2005
4,235
14
38
Vancouver
www.cynicsunlimited.com
1. Because it wastes $100 million a year
2. They are unelected
3. We have enough politicians in Canada
4. Nobody would notice the disappearance of the Senate except Ottawa
5. It is a $100 million a year slush fund for political parties in Ottawa
6. Regional representation is tough when many live in Ottawa, living in the boonies/hinterland-northern Man/Sask/Ont/PEI must be so boring for some like Duffy who are political junkies and want action
7. Democracy in Canada would improve with an institutions like the Senate no longer in existence. Party discipline in Canada hinders democracy. Canadians want less partisanship in politics, not more.
8. They are lazy slackers
9. The Senate inhibits the creation of new committees emerging from the House of Commons that may actually improve our democracy
10. MPs need to get more power so the executive is weakened. Executive federalism is too strong now with the PMO. Parliament is much weaker than it was decades ago
 

dumpthemonarchy

House Member
Jan 18, 2005
4,235
14
38
Vancouver
www.cynicsunlimited.com
The Senate is party slush fund, once its gone it's possible we could have far less partisan politics. The Senate is poison in our politics but maybe not paying them is one solution. The NDP have proposed that, no money to pay senators. I agree totally.
 

WLDB

Senate Member
Jun 24, 2011
6,182
0
36
Ottawa
I'd prefer to abolish parliament altogether and go for a democratic republic without political parties and have lots n lots of referendums.


Id be for that if it could work in practice. I doubt it'd last long. People tend to band together with those who agree with them. We would very quickly wind up having parties again. Those who want power would still try to get it whether it be seeking a political office or manipulating referendums.

Im not really leaning one way or another on the Senate. Reform or abolish is fine by me. Whatever we do the status quo cannot be allowed to continue indefinitely.

The Senate is party slush fund, once its gone it's possible we could have far less partisan politics. The Senate is poison in our politics but maybe not paying them is one solution. The NDP have proposed that, no money to pay senators. I agree totally.


Rome didnt pay their senators either. Going for that option will ensure that only independently wealthy people would want the job. Not far off from what it is now but it'd get worse if we didnt pay them.

10. MPs need to get more power so the executive is weakened. Executive federalism is too strong now with the PMO. Parliament is much weaker than it was decades ago

MPs have the power to stop that whenever they want. The PMO has only been getting more powerful because parliament allows it. They can easily just say "No" whenever they want. Its unfortunate that they almost never do.

Technically our executive would be the GG or Queen - not the PM. The PM is a position of convention. It isnt even mentioned in the constitution which in part is why they tend to do whatever they want.