Madam Speaker, it is important to listen to Canadians and to have a sense of what they are saying about the Senate. I had an opportunity this summer to travel from coast to coast to coast and listen to what Canadians are saying about the Senate. We are hearing over and over that the status quo in the Senate is not acceptable and that things must change.
Senators can serve terms of up to 45 years and they do not have a democratic mandate from Canadians.
Canadians want steps taken to have reasonable reforms to bring the Senate into a 21st century democracy.