To the editor:
The reprehensible behaviour of a few senators in the Senate has caused many Canadians to call for the abolition of that part of our government system.
NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair is demanding the Senate be abolished.
The first part of the discussion is we know laws conceived in anger and outrage and then passed in haste are often poor laws. We should be equally suspicious of judgements founded on outrage.
Abolishing the Senate may be a good idea but no one knows for sure. Since many of us are largely unaware of what the Senate does, and is intended to do, it follows most of us might hold opinions on the matter but not a lot of knowledge.
Perhaps we should determine what it is delivering, what it is supposed to deliver and then decide whether it is delivering what it is supposed to deliver. Can it be reformed so that it can deliver?
The second part of the discussion is the matter of the technical process for abolishing the Senate. That is an entirely different matter and the pathway is far from clear.
For Mr. Mulcair to loudly trumpet his intention to “roll up the red carpet,” indicates shocking ignorance or profound arrogance.
Some tell us the Senate could be abolished by a constitutional amendment. To pass that amendment would require either seven provinces with 50 per cent of the population or unanimous consent. They aren’t sure which.
Another person states that in addition to provincial agreement, the Senate would have to vote itself out of existence.
I think dealing with the Senate in isolation isn’t the best idea. Consider that many people are also not happy with our first-past-the-post system of electing members of Parliament.
Let’s talk about the whole thing. We’ve had the same system for 146 years and it has worked well.
But time changes circumstances. Now might be the perfect time to take stock of what we’ve got and see how we can make our system of government even better.
Murray Todd, president
Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo Liberal Riding Association