Why the spotlight on
the Canadian Senate?
This question from a
first-time reader of
the January 2003 issue
of the Canadian Vindicator
e-zine deserves an answer.
It is because Canadians
are denied the right
to elect the members
of their own Senate.
One man, and only one
man, selects persons
of his own choice to
become Senators. This
is a complete negation
of democracy.
Canadians have never
been asked in any General
Election or nation-wide
referendum to make a
choice for or against
the present method of
appointing, not electing,
Senators to represent
them.
For 136 years Canadians
have docilely lived
under a system of government
whereby one man can
appoint one complete
Chamber of Parliament.
No one has yet had the
courage to say, "If
I am elected Prime Minister
I will not appoint anyone
a Senator who has not
been elected by the
people of Canada."
Once appointed, Senators
can remain in office
until the age of 75
years, paid by taxpayers
a handsome salary of
$105,000 per annum,
and a handsome pension
when they retire.
They are not answerable
to an electorate.
This power conferred
on appointed Senators
has led to abuses in
the past, and continues
to give rise to questionable
practices, practices
sanctioned by the Senate's
own rules of conduct.
Elected legislators in
Canada, municipal, provincial,
and federal, know they
run the risk of losing
their jobs if taxpayers
find fault with their
conduct. Electors can
vote them out of office.
Canadian electors cannot
vote unelected Senators
out of office if they
find fault with their
conduct.
Consider two recent cases
reported by Ottawa
Citizen reporter
Jack Aubry.
An Ontario Senator was
absent on 59 of 124
sitting days, a British
Columbia Senator attended
just 35 per cent of
sitting days over a
set period. Being absent
more than 19 sitting
days calls for a penalty
of $250 a day for each
sitting thereafter.
By using the excuse
of being absent on public
business Senators avoid
paying the stipulated
penalty. Add on days
absent due to illness
and one of the Senators
avoided paying any fines
at all.
In the overall scheme
of things, the conduct
of two appointed Senators
will not bring an end
to the system of appointment,
but perseverance in
questioning whether
such a system of appointment
can be tolerated for
ever and a day must
surely capture the attention
of Canadians as they
look forward to a new
generation of political
leaders tackling the
issue.
"The Constitution
made me do it"
is no excuse. As previously
detailed in this and
other independent media,
appointing only those
who are elected Senators
by the people of Canada
does not contravene
the Constitution.
In order to achieve democracy
the appointed Senate
must be a central issue
in the next General
Election.
--30--
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