"Senate Slap!"Sep 02, 1998
It will be known as the slap that was heard ‘across the west’.
If Prime Minister Jean Chrétien goes ahead with plans to fill
the recently vacated Alberta Senate seat with one of his usual selection
of patronage pals, it will be a slap in the face to Albertans and to
any democratic-minded Canadian.
Albertans first won the opportunity to vote for their Senate representative
in 1989. They chose the late Stan Waters, and former Prime Minister
Brian Mulroney finally gave in to public pressure by appointing him
to the Senate. Now that Albertans have been given another golden opportunity
to put forward two choices for the Senate on October 19th, the current
Prime Minister has given clear signals that he couldn’t care less
about what Albertans want!
British Columbians are watching the Alberta Senate election with great
interest … and a whole lot of envy! An elected and accountable
senator in Ottawa is a cherished concept here in B.C. or in any province
for that matter. But, what’s especially enticing is that our immediate
neighbours have a chance to get a senator who truly represents the interests
of their province instead of a senator who will be "obliged"
to "toe the line" for the Prime Minister and his Central Canada-fixated
government.
The October 19th Senate election has been repeatedly downplayed
and dismissed by the Tories and Liberals. Neither party has fielded
a candidate seemingly because they’re afraid to give the election
legitimacy, thus threatening their best source for political patronage
plums. Meanwhile, the Alberta people have left no doubts about how legitimate
and how important this election is to them! The recent resignation of
Alberta Senator Jean Forest has given the elections more immediate relevance.
Albertans could actually be voting for a senator to be appointed just
shortly after the elections.
Unfortunately, it’s likely that Mr. Chrétien will shoot
down this exciting exercise in Canadian democracy. He and his Liberal
cronies are hiding behind legal technicalities and varying interpretations
of the Constitution. They claim that to appoint one of Alberta’s
choices for senator would require constitutional change. They’re
wrong!
The Constitution simply states that senators are appointed by the governor
in council — which essentially means the Prime Minister through
the Governor General. But, the Constitution doesn’t say how the
candidates are to be selected and that means no constitutional change
is required to appoint one of Alberta’s choices for the Senate.
The only thing that is required is for the Prime Minister to accept
the will of the people. And in Alberta, the people want Mr. Chrétien
to wait until after October 19th to appoint their choice
to fill the seat vacated by Senator Forest. This week, the Reform Party
asked the Federal Court to prevent the Prime Minister from filling the
vacancy until after the election, but the request was turned down. Reform’s
court action was similar to a court challenge in 1930 that eventually
led to women finally being allowed to sit in the Senate. Back then,
there were all sorts of legal and technical arguments against women
sitting in the Senate. They were wrong then, just like they’re
wrong now.
Despite his attempts to hide behind the Constitution, Mr. Chrétien
does indeed have the power to appoint Alberta’s choices for the
Senate. It was perfectly legal when Stan Waters was appointed in 1990
and it’s perfectly legal now. If Mr. Chrétien continues
on his path against Senate reform, he may have much more than a Quebec
constitutional dilemma on his hands. Albertans, and many in B.C. closely
watching events unfold, will become even more alienated by this latest
slap in the face. And that could very well ignite a resurgence of western
separation the likes of which we haven’t seen for a long time!
Sep 02, 1998
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