Senate Reform Act  Mr. Speaker, I want to correct the record. The member opposite commented on having to be a member of a registered party in order to have one's name brought forward. I would like him to look at section 19.2(b) in Bill C-7 where it states that the name of each candidate must be printed on a ballot together with: the word “independent”, if the candidate is not a candidate for a registered provincial or territorial political party.

Senate Reform Act  Mr. Speaker, the Senate reform bill is an incremental approach to reform and reaffirms our government's commitment to make the upper chamber more democratic, effective and accountable. The bill is consistent with the government's efforts to encourage the provinces to implement a democratic process for this election but also to implement term limits for senators so that there is continued renewal.

Senate Reform Act  Mr. Speaker, the Senate Reform Act would encourage the provinces to enact the democratic process so Canadians would have a greater say in who represents them in the Senate. It would provide more of a dynamism in the Senate. The bill provides a voluntary framework to assist the provinces in implementing a selection process to bring forward names of individuals for the Prime Minister to consider.

Senate Reform Act  Mr. Speaker, this issue has come up. The bill does not provide funding for provincial and territorial consultation processes. Our government believes provincial and territorial processes should be funded by the provinces and territories. Alberta has already had three consultative processes and the Government of Canada has not contributed funding for them.

Senate Reform Act  Mr. Speaker, as was mentioned before, this process is voluntary. We look forward to working with the provinces and using the framework as a base for creating what the provinces believe to be the best process for consultation. The federal government is not imposing this framework; it is voluntary.

Senate Reform Act  Mr. Speaker, our government has been given a strong mandate. Part of that strong mandate was for Senate reform. We have taken a flexible approach to this with incremental changes, so that we can implement those things that are important to Canadians, to improve the democracy that we hold dear to us, and to improve our Senate from the standpoint of ensuring there are limited terms as well as ensuring that we have some degree of flexibility in what we are doing moving forward.

Senate Reform Act  Mr. Speaker, as I said, we consulted all Canadians with respect to our plan. On May 2 Canadians brought us forward with a strong mandate for Senate reform. As the member opposite knows, there is already legislation in place for democratic selections in other provinces, whether that be in Alberta or Saskatchewan, which have enacted legislation for democratic selection processes.

Senate Reform Act  Mr. Speaker, as I was mentioning a few days ago, the Senate reform act will also introduce term limits for senators. The act will restrict the length of time that senators can sit in the Senate to a nine year term limit. This will apply to all senators appointed after the royal assent of the bill.

Senate Reform Act  Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise to speak in support of Bill C-7, Senate Reform Act. In our platform and in the Speech from the Throne, we outlined our commitment to Senate reform, promising Canadians that we would take action. With the introduction of the Senate reform act, we are taking the first steps toward meeting this objective.

Senate Reform Act  Madam Speaker, 70% of Canadians have said that they want some form of reform. I would just like to ask, does the member opposite really want a constitutional quagmire? That is what he is proposing. Canadians want action. They elected a strong, stable, Conservative government to create reform.

Senate Reform Act  Madam Speaker, in his speech my colleague had thoughtful comments and ideas about Senate reform. He mentioned that over 70% of Canadians wished to have reform and flexibility. It is unfortunate that our colleagues across the aisle do not wish to have that degree of flexibility and opportunity for Canadians to bring forward a more robust democracy.

Seniors  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today in the House to mark Canada's first National Seniors Day, which will happen this Saturday. I am pleased to rise here today to mark National Seniors Day this Saturday. It is important to celebrate what seniors have done and continue to do for our country.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, as I have mentioned a few times today in the House, our government is focused on creating jobs. There are many organizations in the province of Quebec that do support this. I will read what the Montreal Board of Trade said. It said, “Budget 2011 also includes some positive measures to increase the productivity of Canadian businesses and to better support them on international markets.

Business of Supply  I ask the member opposite to please be polite.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, in the economic action plan and the movement forward that we have, in the field that I have looked at, there are several initiatives that are supporting the economy. Whether it is extending the accelerated capital cost allowance, enhancing or extending programs to help businesses keep workers, like the work share program, or the hiring credit for small businesses, all of these initiatives are essential to growing our economy and ensuring our employers can employ more individuals, creating jobs in Canada so we can ensure every Canadian has a job.