March 16, 2005

Honorable Ralph Klein
Premier of Alberta
307, 10800-97 Avenue
Edmonton, AB T5K 2B6

Dear Premier,

Since our telephone conversation of March 4, we (the Elected Senate Nominees) have had a meeting with the Hon. Ed Stelmach’s staff and the Deputy Minister Gerry Bourdeau.

At the beginning of the meeting, they had not reviewed my March 1, letter to you. The Deputy Minister said they the department had a full agenda preparing for the August, Council of the Federation meeting and didn’t think it possible to put together a task force
to meet government to government before the August meeting. I respectively suggest to you that there is in fact ample time and more if there is the political will to hold a one or two hour meeting with each of the Premiers between now and the August Council Of The
Federation.

Our telephone conversation on March 4 left me with the distinct impression that you were personally in favor of a government to government task force if the cost could be kept to
a reasonable level

Ed Stelmach’s office has offered the Senate nominees five thousand dollars each to travel to Atlantic Canada and meet with government officials. To date Premier Hamm has sent a letter suggesting we meet with his Justice Minister Michael Baker.

I suggest the work of the previous task force was effective only because we met with nearly all the Premiers and only a couple of Intergovernmental Affairs Ministers.

I believe a new task force could meet with all the Atlantic Premiers in two or three days if properly coordinated by an Alberta Minister’s office. The remaining Provinces Might require a day each because of the travel time required. In any case, the task could be completed in a maximum of three working weeks.

The four Western Provinces could be covered by government aircraft leaving only the Atlantic region, Ontario, and Quebec requiring commercial flights. My amateur estimate of the cost would be less than fifty thousand dollerettes.

If Minister Stelmach’s office is unable to handle the timetable due to previous commitments, we (the task force) could work with other Ministers committed to the cause of Senate Reform. The Hon. Dave Hancock, Hon. Heather Forsyth, Hon. Greg Melchin, Hon Lyle Oberg, Hon Harvey Cenaiko, Hon. Luke Perrault are a few who come to mind. Of course the Hon. Ed Stelmach may be able to join the task force on one or two legs of the trips and maybe the Premier might enjoy the final leg to meet with Premier Campbell.

After twenty-one years working for Senate Reform, I am unable to convey how convinced I am that the goal of an Elected Equal and Effective Senate is very important to Canada. To be blunt the power of an individual Premier is nothing against the power of a Prime Minister with a majority government. Now, I have come to realize a Prime Minister with a Minority government is even more dangerous to the well being of this country.

Had I a wish for Canada’s future it might well be that the first Ministers accept Paul Martin’s challenge to agree on a method of selecting future Senators at the August Council of the Federation, and that agreement would be to have them directly elected by the people. That will be the first step to reform, not the last.

You know my commitment and my passion for real Senate Reform. Again, I offer to serve in order to reach that goal. At 83% support among Canadians we need government to government meetings to make the deal. The latest rumor out of the PMO is the Alberta vacancies in the Senate will be filled in the next few days. If that happens, it only makes this issue more imperative.

Sincerely,

Bert Brown, Chairman
Cell: 403-860-1938
Phone: 403-935-4992