Posts Tagged ‘Senate’
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Concerns that Liberal anti-terror bill looks to protect rights at expense of security
The problem is, as the government’s own report on its consultations makes clear, the “secret and complex nature” of national security work means Canadians have no idea whether law enforcement officers need additional powers… The disruption provision allows CSIS to seek a court warrant to break laws or breach Charter rights, short of causing bodily harm or obstructing justice.
Tags: crime prevention, featured, globalization, ideology, rights, Senate
Posted in Governance Policy Context | No Comments »
Appointing independent senators: Leave the skepticism behind
… the very purpose of a Senate composed of appointed members was to ensure that senators would consider the public policy issues of the day on their merits, not on the basis of preprogrammed positions dictated from above by party leadership. Canadians have seen this ideal compromised through patronage appointments, excessive partisanship and executive interference by previous Prime Ministers’ Offices. This is precisely why the government’s policy is to not exercise top-down partisan control over any member of the Senate
Tags: featured, ideology, Senate
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
The Senate finally does something right
… the proposals fall into three categories: providing greater openness, improving internal operations and generating better legislation. In principle all are desirable… [including] a proposal to group senators into “caucuses” rather than parties… all represented on committees… But a less rigid, us-versus-them, in-versus-out pattern of debate and voting would still be an improvement, perhaps even a useful model for reforming the Commons
Tags: ideology, jurisdiction, participation, Senate, standard of living, tax
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
Canada needs a Senate and our Senate needs to be fixed. Here’s how
Ottawa should bypass the bad old approach to constitutional negotiations by tabling a specific reform proposal and appealing directly to the electorate for a referendum mandate to enact its proposals… The provinces, faced with a federal proposal endorsed in a national referendum, would find it very hard to resist… the chances of getting the reforms through the formal amendment process increase dramatically. Put the people first and the provinces will follow.
Tags: featured, ideology, jurisdiction, rights, Senate
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
Let the Senate reform itself
… changes would be to encourage the Senate to effectively and expeditiously propose amendments that the Commons must consider. Indirect vetoes would be largely eliminated and direct vetoes made more difficult. The Commons would be faced with clear proposals for amendments and be forced to consider their merits. Without the prospect of having to deal harshly with threatened vetoes, the Commons might consider Senate amendments more on their merits.
Tags: featured, ideology, jurisdiction, Senate
Posted in Governance Policy Context | No Comments »
How Canada’s creation changed the world
What was needed was a compromise, and this came in June 1864 when a Canadian coalition government adopted the principle of federalism as a way out, with rep by pop for the central government in Ottawa and provincial rights for a francophone Quebec. Federalism also offered a basis for a grand union of the British North American colonies… Nothing could be more dissimilar than the way in which the Americans and Canadians made their constitutions.
Tags: jurisdiction, multiculturalism, participation, rights, Senate
Posted in Governance History | No Comments »
Don’t give up on Senate reform
We are not stuck with the status quo. We are simply faced with the same challenges we always were. Establishing an equal, elected and effective Senate was never supposed to be particularly easy… If Mr. Harper really wants a better Senate, he can start doing that today simply by making better appointments
Tags: ideology, jurisdiction, privatization, Senate
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
In defence of an appointed Senate
The Senate committee on social policy has done some of the best work in the country on mental health, directly leading to the creation of the Mental Health Commission of Canada… the Senate’s efficacy as an institution of governance depends on the quality of the appointments. More of what Britain calls “crossbenchers” – non-aligned members – would help depoliticize or at least departisan-ize the Senate and raise the level of the debate.
Tags: ideology, jurisdiction, participation, Senate
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
Senator shows why ‘sober second thought’ matters
Cowan began his speech by putting Bill C-377 in context. “It’s part of a larger story, one in which the government of Stephen Harper is trying to systematically silence individuals and organizations that dare to challenge it publicly,” he said. Then he set out his proof… It has now spread through the women’s movement, the academic community, the anti-poverty network and social media.
Tags: ideology, participation, rights, Senate
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
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