(Ottawa) The Honourable Steven Fletcher, Minister of State (Democratic Reform), along with Senator Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu today encouraged provinces to establish a democratic process for selecting senators so Canadian voters can have a say on who represents them in the Senate.
“Canadians have been clear they want a modern, accountable and elected Senate” said Minister of State Fletcher. “Prime Minister Harper and this government are committed to a democratic Senate, elected by the voters.”
The
Senatorial Selection Act, introduced in the Senate today, provides a voluntary framework for provinces to implement a democratic process where voters elect nominees for the Senate. While it does not require the provinces to enact such processes, it underscores the Government’s support for provinces that choose to do so. The Prime Minister commits to consider recommended names from a list of elected Senate nominees put forward by provinces that conduct a consultation process.
“Our Government believes Canadians should have a say in who represents them in the Senate,” said Senator Boisvenu. “The Prime Minister appointed the only elected senator currently sitting in the Senate and will continue to appoint senators chosen through democratic selection processes.”
The voluntary framework is based on the model established by Alberta, which has resulted in two appointments to the Senate: Senator Stan Waters in 1990 and Senator Bert Brown in 2007.
Minister of State Fletcher and Senator Boisvenu were joined by Senator Bert Brown and Senator Bob Runciman.
“I am proud that our Government is the first in 143 years to offer Canadians the right to choose who represents them in the Senate,” said Senator Brown. “This bill represents an important step forward for Canadian democracy and constitutes a milestone in modernizing and reforming our Parliament.
“The Senate has an important role in our parliamentary system and its members perform valuable work. But it has a credibility problem that is linked directly to its method of selection. People want, and expect, their representatives to be chosen democratically,” added Senator Runciman.
The bill is consistent with the Government’s incremental approach to Senate reform and the desire to implement a procedure to consult Canadians on their preferences for Senate nominees.
