Conservative renew bid to limit Senate terms
By Mia Rabson, Winnipeg Free Press
Source: Conservative renew bid to limit Senate terms
OTTAWA — Canadian senators would be limited to terms of eight years under
legislation introduced by the Conservatives Thursday.
Steven Fletcher, the minister of state for democratic reform, said Canadians
believe it's time to modernize Parliament's upper chamber.
"Placing term limits on senators is one of the important steps to making the Senate
worthy of a 21st century institution," Fletcher said Thursday.
Currently senators have no fixed term limit and can serve until mandatory
retirement age of 75, regardless of how old they are when they are appointed.
Fletcher said that means a senator could serve for 45 years, because the minimum
age for being appointed to the Senate is 30.
The bill was introduced in the Senate Thursday. It will be debated in the House of
Commons only if it passes the upper chamber first.
This is the second time the Conservatives have tried to get term limits in the
Senate. The first bill, introduced in 2006 in the Senate, wasn't passed. The Liberals
in the Senate, who hold the majority of votes, wanted the issue studied by the
Supreme Court to ensure the government was within its constitutional bounds to
introduce term limits in the Senate.
Liberal Senator Sharon Carstairs of Manitoba said she likes the idea of term limits
but said eight years is too short.
"I think 12 or 15 years is more reasonable," she said.
She also said, however, that this bill is unconstitutional because the federal
government cannot make substantive changes to the Senate without consulting
with the provinces.
Several provinces — Quebec being the most vocal — have threatened court action to
prevent changes to the Senate without provincial consultation.
Manitoba held public hearings this year to let Manitobans weigh in on Senate
reform. MLA Erna Braun, chair of the committee that hosted the hearings, said
the suggestions varied from abolishing the Senate completely to introducing elected
senators and various types of term limits. A report from that committee will be
finished shortly, she said.
Carstairs said the government should call a federal-provincial meeting to discuss
Senate reform and get an agreement before moving ahead.
Fletcher said this change is not one that requires the approval of the provinces.
"It's within the federal government purview to do so and that is what we are
seeking to do," he said. "It is just that simple."
The Harper government had held off from filling most Senate vacancies since 2006,
saying it would rather wait until the senators can be elected. But in December,
when the opposition parties former a coalition and threatened to take over the
government, Harper rapidly filled 18 vacancies. Among those appointees were
former CTV personalities Mike Duffy and Pamela Wallin and Olympic skiing
champion Nancy Greene Raine.
All 18 would be subject to the eight-year limit if it passes.
____________________________________
________________________
By Mia Rabson, Winnipeg Free Press
Source: Conservative renew bid to limit Senate terms
OTTAWA — Canadian senators would be limited to terms of eight years under
legislation introduced by the Conservatives Thursday.
Steven Fletcher, the minister of state for democratic reform, said Canadians
believe it's time to modernize Parliament's upper chamber.
"Placing term limits on senators is one of the important steps to making the Senate
worthy of a 21st century institution," Fletcher said Thursday.
Currently senators have no fixed term limit and can serve until mandatory
retirement age of 75, regardless of how old they are when they are appointed.
Fletcher said that means a senator could serve for 45 years, because the minimum
age for being appointed to the Senate is 30.
The bill was introduced in the Senate Thursday. It will be debated in the House of
Commons only if it passes the upper chamber first.
This is the second time the Conservatives have tried to get term limits in the
Senate. The first bill, introduced in 2006 in the Senate, wasn't passed. The Liberals
in the Senate, who hold the majority of votes, wanted the issue studied by the
Supreme Court to ensure the government was within its constitutional bounds to
introduce term limits in the Senate.
Liberal Senator Sharon Carstairs of Manitoba said she likes the idea of term limits
but said eight years is too short.
"I think 12 or 15 years is more reasonable," she said.
She also said, however, that this bill is unconstitutional because the federal
government cannot make substantive changes to the Senate without consulting
with the provinces.
Several provinces — Quebec being the most vocal — have threatened court action to
prevent changes to the Senate without provincial consultation.
Manitoba held public hearings this year to let Manitobans weigh in on Senate
reform. MLA Erna Braun, chair of the committee that hosted the hearings, said
the suggestions varied from abolishing the Senate completely to introducing elected
senators and various types of term limits. A report from that committee will be
finished shortly, she said.
Carstairs said the government should call a federal-provincial meeting to discuss
Senate reform and get an agreement before moving ahead.
Fletcher said this change is not one that requires the approval of the provinces.
"It's within the federal government purview to do so and that is what we are
seeking to do," he said. "It is just that simple."
The Harper government had held off from filling most Senate vacancies since 2006,
saying it would rather wait until the senators can be elected. But in December,
when the opposition parties former a coalition and threatened to take over the
government, Harper rapidly filled 18 vacancies. Among those appointees were
former CTV personalities Mike Duffy and Pamela Wallin and Olympic skiing
champion Nancy Greene Raine.
All 18 would be subject to the eight-year limit if it passes.
____________________________________
________________________
