Canada: Federal NDP Calls for Referendum on Senate

The Senate is an institution that many Canadians love to hate. Jack Layton, the leader of the federal NDP wants to put the question of whether to keep the upper house or let it go to the Canadian people.

To be or not to be, that is the question about Canada’s Senate, that has been bouncing around Canadian politics for many years now. The leader of the federal new Democratic Party, Jack Layton, wants to put this question to the Canadian people in a referendum. Layton has referred to the senate as "outdated and obsolete." and said "It's a 19th-century institution that has no place in a modern democracy in the 21st century" "It's undemocratic because (senators) are appointed by prime ministers who then are turfed out of office. But these senators end up leaving a long shadow of their continued presence in the legislative context." For sometime now Layton has wanted and asked for an end to Canada’s upper chamber. Recently, Hugh Segal, a conservative senator suggested that a nationwide vote be held; saying that a referendum could lead to important reforms if a majority of Canadians voted to keep the upper chamber. Segal supports the retention of the Senate. Layton has seized Segal’s idea and wants to put it up for discussion on the Commons floor. The first step will be for the NDP to introduce a motion calling for a referendum in the coming weeks. Layton hopes that the Prime Minster will allow on free vote on this issues, thus freeing Commons members from following the party line. The cost will be minimal, according to Layton, because it could be held at the same time as the next federal election. There is an obstacle in the path of this plan and that is that constitutional law prevents the federal government from making such major changes unilaterally. This means that the support of a minimum of seven and perhaps all ten provinces is required for the referendum to be held. Additionally, experts do not agree on which amending formula would have to be followed in any move to abolish the Senate. Canada’s prime minister wants to see senate reform or see the Senate abolished. Earlier this year a bill to limit the length of a senator’s term to eight years was blocked by Liberal Senators who control the upper house. Layton wants to carry on and said, "Why don't we start by finding out how Canadians feel about it? That seems to be to be a democratic approach."