OTTAWA—New Democrats today challenged Stephen Harper to, as a bare minimum, place enforceable term-limits on the next round of Senate appointments, a long promised policy of the Conservative Party.
“Mr. Harper’s record on Senate reform is long on rhetoric, and short on action,” said New Democrat Democratic Reform Critic David Christopherson (Hamilton Centre). “Making new Senators agree to an enforceable term limit, as Mr. Harper has repeatedly promised, would be a modest step toward Senate reform.”
Christopherson issued the challenge in advance of expected announcement by Mr. Harper to fill at least five Senate vacancies.
“Mr. Harper can’t keep committing to Senate reform on the one hand, while appointing his unaccountable friends with no strings attached on the other,” said Christopherson. “On democratic reform Mr. Harper promised he would be different from the Liberals, but he’s turning out to be no change at all.”
http://www.ndp.ca/press/new-democrats-challenge-harper-to-set-term-limits-on-next-round-senate-appointments