SENATE REFORM SHOULD BE A PRIORITY FOR HARPER
BROCKVILLE - Pushing Senate
reform should be a top priority for federal
Opposition Leader Stephen Harper when the Liberal
minority government resumes sitting, says Bob
Runciman, MPP for Leeds-Grenville.
“We must work together to ensure the
Liberal government recognizes Senators elected
in province-wide elections,” said Runciman,
House Leader of the Official Opposition in the
Ontario Legislature. He tabled a bill entitled
the Senatorial Selection Act in the Ontario
Legislature that calls on the province to elect
Senators who would then be recognized and appointed
to the upper chamber by the federal government.
Runciman’s private members bill is scheduled
for debate shortly after the opening of the
legislature in October.
He feels the time is right for Harper to force
the Liberals to move forward with Senate reform.
Currently, Alberta is the only provincial government
to elect senators and to date a federal majority
Liberal government has refused to appoint Alberta’s
two elected “Senators-in-waiting”
Bert Brown and Ted Morton.
“The federal Liberals have arrogantly
rejected the choices of the people of Alberta,
opting instead to appoint partisan friends,”
accused Runciman. “During the election,
Prime Minister Paul Martin said his government
would consider Senate Reform and has held back
on appointing new Senators.
“They (Liberals) are no longer in a position
to shove their decisions down people’s
throats and I urge Mr. Harper to use his strengthened
hand to insure that the minority government
recognize elected Senators in provinces that
opt to go this route,” said the veteran
MPP.
“If the federal government can be persuaded
to move in this direction, then the importance
of the vote on my bill rises exponentially,”
added Runciman.
Media Contact
Don Swayne
(613) 342-9522
