I think it is a move towards an elected Senate. Other federal countries typically do have an upper house. They typically are elected. Australia and the United States spring to mind.
As for your small countries, I was on a visit to the Bahamas a few years ago and I visited their Senate. Their Senate meets in a room about half the size of this one. There are about 10 of them, and they were debating whether Oprah Winfrey should be shown on Bahamian public television. It was very, very interesting. They were certainly fulfilling a sober second thought there.
And they were elected.