Politics: Canada: Prime Minister to make 'unprecedented' appearance in Senate over Senate reform
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While the Canadian Senate is stacked with patronage appointments by the last several Liberal govts, it sits pat blocking passage of Prime Minister Stephen Harper's legislation, already passed in the House of Commons, regarding govt accountability in its own finances. The Liberals, always-scandal prone with taxpayer's money, while they were in office, are now out of office but still overwhelmingly dominant in the Senate the members of which are all life-time appointees. Globe&Mail's headline emphasizes the breaking of precedent when a Member of the House of Commons--namely, in this case, the minority govt leader, Stephen Harper, even appears before the upper chamber's committee today, "Harper plans unprecedented Senate appearance."
North America > Canada
. On the other hand, Canadian Press's dispatch via Toronto Star ignores the precedent issue and is headlined with a focus on the substantive motive for Harper's trip to a Lib-stacked committee of a Lib-stacked body which should shake off all the historical claptrap and resign en masse to give the country room to proceed to a different kind of selection of Senators, all brand new, or to no Senate at all.
"Harper to argue for Senate reform" (Sep6,2k6):
OTTAWA — Stephen Harper is taking his pitch for Senate reform directly to appointees of the much-maligned upper house.Harper has explained that his first step in an incremental approach is to limit Senate terms to 8 years. If he gets this provision in this round, when an election is called, he will campaign on the issue of an elected Senate with term limitations as yet to be stipulated, hoping it will add to the chances of his gaining a majority govt for the Conservs in the next round.
The prime minister will make an unprecedented appearance Thursday before a special Senate committee, which is examining his proposal to limit the term of new senators to eight years.
Senators currently sit for as many as 45 years before being compelled to retire at 75.
“Ultimately, Senate reform is something that’s of great interest to the prime minister,” said spokesman Dimitri Soudas.
“He wants to personally indicate, as prime minister, his commitment to both incremental and to fundamental reform of the upper house.”
-- Politicarp
Late breaking Google News updates:
Harper expected to outline Senate plans (National Post)
Harper appearance before Senate committee now history (G&M)
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