Prime Minister Harper will reportedly be looking at cost-cutting of various programs which are not truly productive.
A really big expenditure is the Senate, and it should be totally abolished. At its creation, it seemed a good idea to have another group give “second sober thought” to proposed legislation before it was passed into law. However, the persons who sit in the House in Ottawa and who propose, debate and pass legislation, are elected to do so and must take charge.
To avoid any new legislation being passed too quickly, a simple new routine of allowing the proposed legislation to stand in abeyance for say three to four weeks, would give all the parties time to examine it and give it “second sober thought” before calling the piece back into the House for final debate and vote.
This would put the responsibiity where it belongs instead of shunting it off to a group of persons who are appointed by whatever party was in government at the time.
As such, it would be appropriate to say that the senate is totally undemocratic since the persons do not run for election, may be totally unknown to the citizens and may not be knowledgeable on the very matters on which they are to give “second thought.”
Lila Rauh
