Mr. Speaker, last week the Prime Minister appointed Senator Roche to the other place. For all we know this senator may end up displaying excellent attendance records. He may even become valuable when bills need that sober second thought.
That is not the point I am trying to make. The point is that the Prime Minister had every opportunity to wait until the Alberta Senate elections on October 19 and then appoint a winner. Senator Roche had the opportunity to throw his hat in the ring. In recent days he said that he agrees with Senate reform. He has also had the opportunity to honour his words.
As for the Prime Minister, by not waiting until the election, he has told Albertans that they simply do not count. In one easy sweep the Prime Minister has thrown Alberta mud on democracy.
Even former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney honoured the wishes of Albertans in 1989 when he appointed elected Senator Stan Waters. The Prime Minister may have protested at first but in the end he respected the wishes of Albertans.
The key word is respect. It is a word that Canada's Prime Minister must comprehend. The Prime Minister may believe the other place is working just fine, but it is unfortunate that he does not believe in listening to what Canadians think about it. He may even want to listen to the words of those in the other place because they too believe that changes should take place.
Reformers are committed to moving ahead, to making democracy better and to bringing more accountability. To the dissatisfaction of so many, the Liberals are keen on holding on to the status quo. Canadians are not willing to accept that status quo however. They believe in a strong Canada and believe in democracy. They do not believe in the old top down approach preserved by the Liberals.
It is time that the Prime Minister let go of his gigantic ego and did what is right for the country. If the ego means too much and if the pride is too deep to change, then perhaps it is time to call it quits and let a more creative leader and maybe even a better party step in and make Canada a place of pride where all can more fully participate.
I would like to move:
That the motion be amended by deleting all the words after the word “that” and substituting the following therefor:
This House declines to give second reading to Bill S-16, an act to implement an agreement between Canada and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, an agreement between Canada and the Republic of Croatia, and a convention between Canada and the Republic of Chile, for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income, since the principle of bill does not address the issue of an elected Senate introducing legislation which this House finds unacceptable in today's political environment and, in particular, this House finds it offensive that an Alberta senator has been recently appointed by the Prime Minister before the people of Alberta vote to fill the said position in the upcoming Senate elections in October.