Shared interests not bond enough
Bert Brown
Calgary Herald
June 7, 2005

If this is Wednesday, it must be Quebec City . In one whirlwind week, the members of the Alberta Senate Reform Task Force met with bureaucrats, MLA's, MNA's, Ministers or various combinations from the six provinces east of Manitoba . In Halifax , Nova Scotia , amid rain recently turned to flooding, we met with the Intergovernmental Affairs Minister and then an editorial board member. That was the beginning of a series of comments and questions that ran as a common thread through all our discussions.

So far, the discussions with provincial officials have made the relationships between provincial governments and their existing provincial Senators, crystal clear. Basically, such relationships simply don't exist. Members of the Task Force asked provincial elected officials if they personally knew the Senators that represent their province. A few Atlantic officials had met some of their Senators in social occasions. When asked how often their Senators meet with provincial MLA's, they were unaware meetings had ever occurred. Regarding Provincial caucus with Senate caucus meetings in Quebec , the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs said, never. When asked about the public stance of their provincial representatives in the Senate on issues as recent as the debate over equalization payments to various provinces, they were unaware of any Senators impacting media or public opinion regarding provincial issues.

Asked if they believed future appointed Senators should be directly elected by the same voters who elect MLA's, MPP's or MNA's, the response was yes. That is an interesting parallel to the huge majority of Canadians that share the same view.

The Alberta Senate Reform Task Force is attempting to persuade provincial legislatures that the one thing they can do to affect a voice, a vote, and a veto in parliament is to begin electing Senators and continue such elections until the Prime Minister of the day is politically unable to ignore democratic choice any longer. Section 24 of the Constitution Acts 1867 to 1982 specifically states, “The Governor General shall from time to time, in the Queen's name by Instrument under the Great Seal of Canada, summon qualified Persons to the Senate.” (Page 8, Art 24) No where does it state the Prime Minister shall have any part in those selections. Section 22, Page 7 says the Constitution of the Senate shall consist of four divisions. No where does it mention or refer to them as regions. The word region implies political alignment which clearly has never existed in the Atlantic division or the Western division. The constitution, however, states that divisions shall be represented equally and goes on to spell out the numbers of Senators to represent each province in the Senate with additions for the various Territories. Alberta believes

the best way to become qualified is to become elected and the best way to represent a province is to be elected by its voters.

Except as citizens, the ongoing scandals in Ottawa are not specific concerns of the Task Force. We recognize the root cause of such deep and widespread corruption lies in the absence of any check on the overwhelming powers gathered under the umbrella of the PMO. These powers have not been sanctioned by acts of parliament or amendments to our constitution. The Office of the Prime Minister has stolen powers-- powers simply taken by setting illegal precedent after precedent that went unchallenged until over time they take on legitimacy. Only weeks ago the Prime Minister succeeded in delaying the one protective act of parliament that protects parliament itself-- the demand for an immediate vote of confidence. As one national columnist put it, “There are no more rules. “ This is a downward slide, ignoring votes of confidence until enough opposition MP's can be bribed into crossing the floor. The obvious progression is to manipulate and ignore parliament's lack of confidence from weeks to months to a point where elections are delayed. Indefinitely?

Canadians have become complacent in the face of both the allegations and the proof of mismanagement in Ottawa . The alarm bells have been ringing loudly concerning the actions and conduct of Canada 's party in power and its last two leaders. Justice John Gomery has for months, been listening to testimony, allegations and confessions of stolen taxpayers dollars. National columnist, Andrew Coyne, is telling Canadians the Liberals have either ignored or broken all the rules of Parliament. These last acts in the House of Commons, make it clear that Members of Parliament, beholden to party discipline, and Senators, loyal to the party of their appointment, can no longer represent the people of the provinces, or Canadians at large; in fact, they represent only the PMO who's single interest is to remain in power at any cost.

For this Task Force member, it is my sure and certain conviction that the only constitutional power existing which could effect some democratic change in what some suggest has become a parliamentary dictatorship is reform of the Senate. Enough elections of Senators-in-waiting will ultimately force the power of democracy into parliament.

Senators elected by provincial voters for fixed terms, independent of the PM's election call will be free to amend, vote, or veto, legislation judged not in the interests of the

people of most provinces. Over time, they will be the instruments for forcing M.P.s to retake the power that belongs to them from their supremely arrogant leadership and bring democratic reform to their own House. In the meantime, do something useful for your country. Stop believing the Liberal lies that Quebec will ever leave this country. Stop believing Liberal excuses for their corruption. Don't write your MP. TELL YOUR PROVINCIAL PREMIERS YOU DEMAND THE RIGHT TO VOTE FOR THE SENATORS THAT WILL REPRESENT YOU IN THE FUTURE!

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Bert Brown is an Alberta senator-elect, Chairman of Canadian Committee for a Triple E Senate, and Member of Alberta Senate Reform Task Force. www.tripleesenate.ca