What exactly has Harper accomplished? – StarPhoenix
Brian Mulroney has an idea for Senate reform. And maybe it won’t work. Maybe it doesn’t go far enough. Maybe, given the hurricane of opprobrium about to befall Ottawa with the release Tuesday of auditor general Michael Ferguson’s examination of Senate spending, it’s too late to salvage the Red Chamber at all.
But at least Mulroney has an idea: Appoint two eminent persons, a former auditor general and a former Supreme Court justice, and have them craft a new plan for Senate spending and residency, the former Tory prime minister told The Canadian Bar Association in Montreal last week. Then have the PM of the day appoint candidates from lists provided by the provinces.
Justin Trudeau, the Liberal leader, has an idea for Senate reform, too. He proposes to craft an arm’s-length process that would offer up potential nominees based on benchmarks of social merit. So eminent authors, artists, scientists, athletes and entrepreneurs might find their way into the Senate. To what extent this is feasible under the current Constitution, which requires that senators be appointed by the PM, is a subject of debate. But heck, it’s an idea.
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