Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is stifling democracy and taking away legitimate regional representation from the people in Atlantic Canada and all Canadians. That is probably why he used the old-fashioned political trick of making the announcement late Friday afternoon.
Without a doubt, the Prime Minister is running scared from the Reform Party's call for elections to fill all Senate vacancies. He reminds us of his 32 years in this House by insisting on the continuation of an archaic and dying system at a time when we need proper, fair, balanced representation from all regions of Canada.
I condemn the continuing policy of political patronage appointments because they subvert the true democratic process. This kind of political patronage renders the upper house useless and ineffective. When will this Prime Minister recognize that he is out of touch with reality and the wishes of Canadians? The time for old-fashioned political patronage is gone. The time for democracy is now.