The Canadian Senate, or Upper House of Parliament, is an independent part of the House of Commons. It’s main role is to provide a “sober second thought” before important decisions are made. However, the existence of the Senate is now threatened, and whether or not the Senate is worth keeping becomes a debatable question. The debate on Senates is divided into three parts: abolish the Senate, reform the Senate, and keep the Senate as is. In this article, the three main opinions will be discussed.
The Canadian Senate is of no use and should be abolished since some people think it is outdated, unnecessary, and undemocratic. Indeed, the main issue is about the patronage, a favor given to a government position in return for political support. People argue that the money of the country should be given to the federal House of Commons, not the Senate. Hon. John Solomon, an NDP member declares that the Senate costs $120 million or more every year to operate, and that Canada has more government than the people want to pay for and the downsize of the number of politicians should start from the abolishment of the Senate. In addition, it seems that the patronage has been handed to …show more content…
Some people feel that the number of seats held by Ontario and Quebec have too much power than the smaller and further provinces, therefore the Senate, which represent regions and provinces, becomes an important position in the federal government. The leader of the Reform Party Preston Manning declares that the Senate is important since the abolishment of the Senate would let Canadians outside Ontario and Quebec continue to be at mercy of Central Canadian influences. In order to be accepted and respected, the Senate needs to be elected by the people so it will be countable for Canadian taxpayers, also the Triple-E of Effective, Equal, and Elected would need to change in order to serve on behalf of the Canadians in other regions and
The Canadian Senate is of no use and should be abolished since some people think it is outdated, unnecessary, and undemocratic. Indeed, the main issue is about the patronage, a favor given to a government position in return for political support. People argue that the money of the country should be given to the federal House of Commons, not the Senate. Hon. John Solomon, an NDP member declares that the Senate costs $120 million or more every year to operate, and that Canada has more government than the people want to pay for and the downsize of the number of politicians should start from the abolishment of the Senate. In addition, it seems that the patronage has been handed to …show more content…
Some people feel that the number of seats held by Ontario and Quebec have too much power than the smaller and further provinces, therefore the Senate, which represent regions and provinces, becomes an important position in the federal government. The leader of the Reform Party Preston Manning declares that the Senate is important since the abolishment of the Senate would let Canadians outside Ontario and Quebec continue to be at mercy of Central Canadian influences. In order to be accepted and respected, the Senate needs to be elected by the people so it will be countable for Canadian taxpayers, also the Triple-E of Effective, Equal, and Elected would need to change in order to serve on behalf of the Canadians in other regions and