“Provinces may never have a better opportunity than right now to show leadership on reforming the Senate,” Smith said. “We have a majority government led by a Prime Minister who will appoint elected Senators, we have more than half of the provincial and territorial jurisdictions going to the polls in the next seven months, and we will have 28 Senate vacancies to fill over the next eight years. We can’t let this opportunity pass by.”**********
“We have been pressing the current government very hard to reinstate Senate elections, but with all these other factors aligning, we’ve decided to broaden our pitch,” Smith said. “Having a provincially elected Senate is a major step towards greater autonomy for the provinces and a more democratic federal government.”***********
PC Premier Ed Stelmach was supposed to hold senate elections last fall with our municipal elections but he reneged. I think because he was afraid Wildrose candidates would be elected.
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The current PC government cancelled Senate elections that would have been held in conjunction with last October’s municipal vote.Danielle has challenged the Premiers. PM Harper has asked the Premiers to hold elections. Sask Premier Brad Wall has been complaining so has NS Premier Darrell Dexter. Now the PM has put ball is back in the their court. Will they hold elections or will it be status quo? It's up to them. Maybe Danielle Smith can help them with her letter.
But the director of communications in the Prime Minister’s Office said the two premiers do not have to wait for the federal legislation to enable Senate elections, and can go ahead in their provinces if they wish.
“Both of these provinces have yet to move on setting elections and consulting the population for the appointment of senators,” Mr. Soudas said. “We encourage them to do that so that if there are any vacancies from Nova Scotia or from Saskatchewan, obviously .... we would appoint those chosen by the population.”
I do not know how many times the PM has suggested that 'provinces should elect their senators and those he appointed who were not elected will step down to run against others for the senator position.
ReplyDeleteBert Brown is the only elected senator in the senate.
BTW., PM wins Earth Award. Libby and gang must be out of their minds with envy.
BTW., PM wins Earth Award. Libby and gang must be out of their minds with envy.
ReplyDeleteSweet! Have you heard anything from Lizzy May or any of the Lame Stream media about this? I haven't.
Isn't it odd that the only complaints came from Premiers who weren't affected by this appointment? Realistically, the ones that should be complaining are Ms. Dunderdale and Mr. Charest. That said, Mr. Wall has plenty of time to add a senatorial election to the provincial election in Saskatchewan this fall. I hope he does so.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it odd that the only complaints came from Premiers who weren't affected by this appointment?
ReplyDeleteGood point! You're right,there hasn't been even a whisper from Charest or Dunderdale you'd think they'd be shouting from the rooftops how outraged they are,unless they aren't of course.
If Wall and Dexter really do object to those appointments time for them to take the PM's offer up and elect their reps in that Chamber of second sober thoughts.
It seems to me that Mr. Wall, the once darling of the conservatives, is changing his stripes just as Stelmach did here in Alberta. We now have zero conservative premiers in this country.
ReplyDeleteWe now have zero conservative premiers in this country.
ReplyDeleteIt sure does seem like it doesn't it?