[Canada] Canadian Politics Redux

[Josephus]

So....The senate. Discuss.

Time to abolish it?
Reform it?
Elect it
Only appoint people citizens don't recognize from television?

[Barrister]

So....The senate. Discuss.

Time to abolish it?
Reform it?
Elect it
Only appoint people citizens don't recognize from television?

EEE baby.

[Drakken]

So....The senate. Discuss.

Time to abolish it?
Reform it?
Elect it
Only appoint people citizens don't recognize from television?

Canada Constitution Act of 1981 made it nigh-on impossible to abolish or significantly reform the Senate, so dream on.

I'm still baffled by how most people ignore that abolishing or constitutionally reforming the Senate (and Monarchy, for that matter) takes unanimous consent of the provinces since 1982. 7/50 and Chretien's Regional Vote Act don't count here. It's why Harper attempts to go around by going in front of the SCC in the first place.

[Neil]

Hereditary peers.  The idea of an elected Senate is deeply disturbing to me.

[Drakken]

Hereditary peers.  The idea of an elected Senate is deeply disturbing to me.

Even the House of Lords in the UK is walking away from hereditary peers.

[Neil]

Hereditary peers.  The idea of an elected Senate is deeply disturbing to me.

Even the House of Lords in the UK is walking away from hereditary peers.

Yeah, but the British are a lost people.  They're tired and spent.

[viper37]

And then he begins to talk.  That is when all his problems start.  Both in terms of style and substance.

hey, good one   I thought English Canada was all crazy on Trudeau.

[viper37]

I'm with BB on the Senate.  EEE is the way to go.  To insure some balance between the House of Commons controlled by the most populous regions and the smaller regions/provinces of the country.

[Grey Fox]

Google is broken, what's EEE?

[Drakken]

Google is broken, what's EEE?

Equal, Elected, and Effective. It was one of the basis of the Charlottetown Accord.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple-E_Senate

[Barrister]

Google is broken, what's EEE?

A senate that is:

Equal (same number of senators from each province)
Elected; and
Effective

[Grey Fox]

Fuck that then. Fuck anything that the Feds want or agreed for the faileds accords.

[Malthus]

I don't see why we don't just get rid of the Senate. It's an institution in search of a purpose.

If you really must reward political hacks, we might as well get some entertainment value out of it. Put them naked in a room full of taxpayer cash and let them take all they can carry on their person - and televise it. 

[Josephus]

I'm with Malthus. But if we can't abolish it, then the EEE thing is my second choice.

[Drakken]

We can't abolish it, unless you want to open the constitutional can of worms, and Quebec's government, both Liberal and PQ, is opposed to the Senate reform as presented by Harper.

I think we are all in agreement that Elected and Effecive are desirable. The crux of the problem, is the Equal part.