The Citizen, 1987-04-15, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 1987.
Opinion
Pressure for senate
reform grows
One of the most interesting developments in recent weeks
has been the push for senate reform that has come, not from the
federal government, but from the piovinces.
After years of seeing former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau
try to persuade the provinces of the need for constitutional
change, after just watching the constitutional conference on
native rights in which Prime Minister Mulroney failed to get the
premiers to go along with proposals to change the constitution
to give native people self-government, we’ve become used to
the idea that constitutional reform is something the federal
government wants but provinces don’t.
But Alberta Premier Don Getty, after seeing that having a
Conservative government instead of a Liberal one doesn’t
automatically mean the West gets its way, has come to the
conclusion that only Senate reform will protect the interests of
less-populous regions like the West and the Maritimes.
When he visited Alberta last week Ontario Premier David
Peterson indicated he’d be willing to entertain reform togive an
elected Senate but he wasn’t sure all provinces should have the
same representation. Later in the week the federal Liberal
party came out with a report that recommended an elected
Senate.
This mounting pressure may allow Mr. Mulroney to preside
over a constitutional change second only to the adoption of the
Charter of Rights in its impact on the country. People may argue
over numbers but there is no doubt that an elected Senate
giving greater weight to geographic rather than population
boundaries is badly needed.
While representation by population sounds fair, in reality as
we crowd more and more people into a few huge cities, it is
leaving whole parts of the country with their interests
under-represented. We can seethe problem right here in
Huron County where every time there is an electoral boundary
change the local riding gets larger and larger until to qualify to
be a good M. P. a candidate will need a helicopter of his own and
a pilot’s licence.
If we feel the problem here, think what whole provinces
elsewhere feel as they see a city like Toronto have more seats
than an entire province, when they see more clout for one city
than their province has.
In a country as vast as Canada, there must be some balance
between population and geography. An elected Senate could
provide that balance as well as becoming a valuable forum for
second thought on debate. If Senators were elected for longer
terms, as they are in the United States, it would also provide
protection from short-term political opportunism.
If western alien at ion can spur the ere at ion of an elected
Senate there truly will be a silver lining to that black cloud.
Others should follow
example of briefing MP's
Anyone who needs proof that, despite their problems, Huron
county farmers are the best organized business people in the
county needed only attend the annual Member of Parliament
Dinner the Huron County Federation of Agriculture held in
Clinton on Saturday.
The Member of Parliament Dinner is an old tradition of the
Federation where one day a year it invites all local members of
Parliament to hear presentations from local farm commodity
groups. On Saturday Huron-Bruce M.P. Murray Cardiff and
Huron-Middlesex M.P.P. Jack Riddell heard eight briefs from
groups ranging from the Huron Cattlemen’s Association to the
Huron County Farm Safety Association.
The event brings farmers and their political representatives
together and lets the politicians know what is on the minds of
the local farm groups. On the other hand, it gives the farm
groups a chance to hear the politician’s side of things,
something Mr. Riddell, in particular, was ready to give as he
praised some ideas, and lowered the boom on some he didn’t
agree with.
The dinner is well worthwhile and one wonders why other
groups haven’t taken up the idea. Why haven’t town and village
businessmen got together to tell the members of parliament
their concerns and get feed back? Why haven’t our village
reeves got together to make sure their special case is put
forward like the mayors of the towns have done?
The democratic system depends on our representatives
getting proper information. Only the farmers in Huron county
seem organized enough to make sure that happens.
Volunteer week coming up
April 26 to May 2 marks the
observ ance of “ N ational Volunteer
Week”.
It is a tribute to people who work
tirelessly in giving of their time and
skills to their communities; they
and he gave his only begotten son
Letter from the editor
On embarrassing situations
wondered ever since if we made the
right choice.
So when President Reagan
started speaking about things that
really had no relevance to the
U.S.-Canadian relations, started
plumping his pet projects like Star
Wars and Nicaragua even though
he knew many Canadians, includ
ing the Canadian government did
not agree with him on many points,
he was putting Members of
Parliament in an embarrassing
position. They could sit quietly as
most members did, and perhaps
give the impression to the outside
world that they agreed with those
policies (since that part of Mr.
Reagan’s speech was aimed more
at the press back home anyway), or
they could be impolite as the
In the long run, I’m not sure what
was more embarassing, the heckl
ing of three or four New Democrats
or the standing ovation that other
M.P.s gave the President in their
effort to smooth over the impolite
ness. The New Democrats were at
least being true to themselves. The
others gave the impression of
fawning.
Long term Canada-U.S. rela
tions won’tbe affected much by
this small incident. President
Reagan has been heckled before.
Maybe we should be glad that we
have some MP’s who are more
concerned with being true to their
conscience than with being polite.
Maybe we should all not be quite so
afraid of being impolite if it means
not going along with people we
rebellious New Democrats were, think are wrong.
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are a most deserving group.
One distinguished team of vol
unteers is the 195 4-H Leaders in
Huron County. Three cheers to all
for their dedication and commit
ment to young people.
BY KEITH ROULSTON
I can’t help feeling a little sorry
for those members of the New
Democratic Party who heckled
President Reagan when he spoke
to Parliament last week and have
been taking heat from even their
own party leader ever since.
Certainly they were being impo-
litewhenthey didn’tshow more
respect for a visiting head of state.
Certainly they should probably
have shut up, even if they didn’t
agree with what he was saying.
Still, maybe they were being more
honest than those of us who would
have sat in silence.
Most of us have probably been
put in the embarrassing situation
at one time or another of listening
to someone proclaim something
loudly that we don’t believe in and
wondering what we should do.
Years ago as part of my job
covering a meeting, I had the
misfortune to sit at dinner across
from a huge, bullett-headed man
I’d neverseen before in my life.
The man went on to tell coarse
jokes with expressions like “big
nigger buck” in them. The rest of
us just sat in stunned silence,
somehwat shocked that in this day
and age people could still talk like
that in polite company.
I must admit to having pangs of
conscience ever since. Didi, by not
protesting what the man was
saying, give him the impression
that lagreed with him? And yet,
what good would it have done to
protest except perhaps make a
scene. I, and the others around me,
decided to be polite and say
nothing and I, for one have