CANADA House of Commons Debates VOLUME 142 Ï NUMBER 018 Ï 2nd SESSION Ï 39th PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Friday, November 16, 2007 Speaker: The Honourable Peter Milliken CONTENTS (Table of Contents appears at back of this issue.) Also available on the Parliament of Canada Web Site at the following address: http://www.parl.gc.ca 969 HOUSE OF COMMONS Friday, November 16, 2007 The House met at 10 a.m. term limits bill, Bill C-19, which limits the terms of senators to eight years, and consequently on the future of the Senate itself. At its core, a debate about the Senate is a debate about accountability. Prayers [Translation] Accountability is one of the main principles underlying our democratic institutions. Canadians expect and, in fact, demand that GOVERNMENT ORDERS the government be accountable for the decisions it makes. Ï (1000) And the electoral process is a basic necessity to keep the [English] government accountable. By voting, Canadians choose the people CANADA ELECTIONS ACT who will represent them in Ottawa. Every member of this House had to put his or her name on a ballot and tell the voters why they should The House resumed from November 15 consideration of the vote for him or her instead of the other candidates whose names were motion that Bill C-18, An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act also on the ballot. (verification of residence), be read the second time and referred to a committee. Once in power, members must constantly justify their actions and The Speaker: Is the House ready for the question? their decisions if they want to be re-elected. Election after election, the members of this House have obtained the democratic legitimacy Some hon. members: Question. they need to exercise political power by taking part in the electoral The Speaker: The question is on the motion. Is it the pleasure of process. the House to adopt the motion? [English] Some hon. members: Agreed. Members of this House, such as the member for Elmwood— An hon. member: On division. Transcona or the member for Cardigan, have given the voters in their ridings the opportunity to pass judgment on their actions time and The Speaker: Accordingly, the bill stands referred to the Standing time again. This is what is meant by accountability. It is the essence Committee on Procedure and House Affairs. of democracy. Let me be clear, there is today no accountability in the (Motion agreed to, bill read the second time and referred to a Senate. committee) If the Senate had to be accountable to Canadians, it would be *** difficult to imagine that senators could justify, for example, their CONSTITUTION ACT, 2007 (SENATE TENURE) work week to the average Canadian. Statistics show that Canadians Hon. Peter Van Loan (Leader of the Government in the House are working longer and longer hours, yet senators work only three of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform, CPC) moved days per week, since, conveniently, they do not work on Mondays or that Bill C-19, An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 (Senate Fridays. tenure), be read the second time and referred to a committee. Ï (1005) He said: Mr. Speaker, as a modern thriving country, Canada stands as an inspiration to people from around the world who have Most Canadians work 50 weeks a year, but senators are content to come here, or look at us from abroad, aspiring to share in the kind of collect their annual salaries of $120,000 while only working usually freedom of open opportunity that Canadians always have, but the 29 weeks per year. This works out to about 87 working days Senate of Canada darkens somewhat the reputation that we have as a annually, or roughly one-third of what the average Canadian works. beacon of democracy. When Canada is facing increasing pressure in its manufacturing In the 21st century, it is unacceptable that one-half of our and forestry sectors, and Canadians are struggling to get by each day, Parliament, the Senate, is unelected and unaccountable. That is why it is utterly ridiculous that senators are guaranteed their $120,000 per today, I am pleased to open debate in this House, first on our Senate year salaries until the age of 75. 970 COMMONS DEBATES November 16, 2007 Government Orders Yes, that is right. Once appointed to the Senate, senators sit until This simple, straightforward piece of legislation would end the the age of 75, which results in terms of up to 45 years. I hope all terms of up to 45 years for senators that Canadians simply cannot members will agree that 45 year terms are unacceptable in a modern accept. It would also allow the Senate to be consistently replenished democracy. with new people, with different perspectives and modern views. The Senate has remained virtually unchanged since Confedera- Ï (1010) tion. That is over 140 years. It is arguably the most powerful upper [Translation] chamber in the world and it has powers nearly equal to those of this House. Hon. members will recall that the bill on Senate tenure was first For example, the Senate can block legislation passed by this introduced in the Senate in May 2006. However, the unelected House, the democratically elected and accountable House of Liberal senators blocked and delayed its adoption for over a year Commons, and we have seen that happen just in this past year. It before shirking their constitutional duty and refusing to examine this can compel government officials and Canadian citizens to appear bill. Although the government was disappointed at these tactics, it before Senate committees. The Senate can propose and pass had expected them somewhat. legislation, and send it here for approval. Clearly, the increasingly aristocratic Liberal senators are not In its current form, where its members are not elected by democratic and do not believe in basic democratic principles such as Canadians and therefore not accountable to the Canadian people, it is accountability, and as the legislative successors of the nobility, who unacceptable. The fact remains, the Senate is an artifact of a long ago ruled by means of arbitrary decisions, they do not believe they have time when aristocrats and nobles wielded influence and power to bow to public opinion. without being accountable to anyone. That is why we decided to introduce our bill on Senate tenure in I should clarify what I said earlier that it will delay, obstruct, not this House. make decisions or block legislation. When it did it earlier this past year, it was not a bill that came from the House of Commons and it [English] was not a bill that came from the government. It was this very bill, the Senate terms limits bill, on which it simply refused to make a With the Liberal leader and many members of his caucus decision. expressing support on numerous occasions for term limits, we expect the bill to easily pass this House. In fact, in a book published just this Our view is that the Senate must change. Our government will year, the leader of the Liberal Party indicated his support for the lead that change. This week we introduced two bills in the House to concept of limiting senators terms to an even shorter period than we create a modern, accountable Senate that is consistent with 21st are proposing. He proposed six years. We hope, as I said, that it will century democratic values, principles and traditions. One of the bills pass this House. we introduced this week would create a process for giving Canadians [Translation] a say in who represents them in the Senate. The bill, entitled the Senate appointment consultations act, is the The problem will be in the Senate, where the noble aristocrats in same bill that was introduced in this House in the last session of the Liberal Senate caucus are trying ever more desperately to protect parliament. It would create a process for holding popular consulta- their privileged existence and their perks. tions with Canadians to fill vacant Senate seats. In spite of everything, the government expects the Liberals in the The process it would create is simple. The consultations would be Senate to respect the will of a legitimate, elected, accountable House held in conjunction with either federal or provincial elections. The of Commons and quickly adopt the bill on Senate tenure, even results would provide the Prime Minister with a list of names chosen though it is not in their personal interests. by Canadians in their particular province from which to choose to fill [English] vacancies in the Senate. The practice of prime ministers consulting only with party hacks Our Senate term limits bill, along with our Senate appointment before appointing friends and colleagues will end. Now, for the first consultations act, would allow for the accountability that Canadians time ever, Canadians across Canada will have a direct say in who demand of their parliamentary institutions by allowing them to pass should represent them in the Senate. judgment on the conduct of senators. Senators will now have to be accountable for the decisions they make, the work they do, and the The other bill we introduced is the bill we are debating today. Our paycheques they receive. Accountability, the basis of democracy, Senate term limits bill, officially entitled the Constitution Act, 1867 will finally come to the Senate. (Senate tenure), will put an end to 45 year terms for senators by limiting their terms to eight years. Moreover, these bills have been consistently supported by an overwhelming number of Canadians. Last December, a poll was The bill is quite simple and straightforward.