The Conservative government will move to impose term limits on new, unelected senators, CTV News has learned.
The changes will be included in a wider package of democratic reforms, such as fixed terms for federal elections.
Currently, Senators can sit until age 75, although until 1965, their appointments were for life. Under the Conservative proposal expected Tuesday, that will be restricted to eight years.
The prime minister appoints senators. Alberta and B.C. have legislation to hold elections for senators, although the previous Liberal government did not appoint the senators-elect.
Asked when there would be a full elected Senate, CTV's Ottawa bureau chief Robert Fife said: "Somewhere before hell freezes over."
Changing the Senate to an elected model would require a constitutional amendment, with at least seven provinces representing at least 50 per cent of the population signing on, he said, adding, "no one wants to open that basket of crabs."
Ontario and Saskatchewan would like the Senate abolished, he said.
Asked why Prime Minister Stephen Harper might be making these changes, Fife said to get the ball rolling on reforming the institution, but "he's also sending a very subtle message to the Liberal-dominated Senate -- if they obstruct his government's agenda, he'll go to the people to get a mandate to force constitutional change."
I thought Harper wanted the Senators elected. Why the flip flop?
Prime Minister Stephen Harper would like to see Canadians in a position to start electing their senators by the time of the next federal election.
Harper announced plans Tuesday to impose eight-year term limits on new senators, part of new democratic reforms.
In an exclusive interview with CTV News and The Globe and Mail, the prime minister was asked why he wouldn't go all the way to electing senators.
"That is a more controversial measure and one that I am prepared to look at in this term of government. What we thought we would start with would be a measure that we thought everyone could agree with," Harper said.
In terms of electing a senator in the next federal election, he said: "I hope so. We're still looking at exactly how we're going to do that."
However, the first step is the imposition of term limits.
"Nobody believes senators should be sitting for decades or anyone in a modern 21st Century legislature should be sitting for decades," Harper said.
Currently, senators can sit until age 75, although until 1965, their appointments were for life.
While the change would require amending the Constitution, the government says the amendment can be passed by Parliament and does not require provincial approval as most constitutional amendments do.
The change follows Harper's campaign pledge to make the Senate a more effective and independent body.
Harper has said he would never appoint a senator, althought he did appoint Michael Fortier to the Senate. "At the moment, I've got seven vacancies, which I have not filled."
Alberta and B.C. have legislation to hold elections for senators. The previous Liberal government did not appoint the senators-elect.
Well if he is going to try this, maybe he should have a citizen committee to decide the Senate representation for each province or if all provinces will get the same amount of Senators like the US.
I just think we (government) needs to work a few things out, before just changing it to them being elected.
