Author: revparlc

Senate Reform: An Incremental Option

Article 4 / 10 , Vol 38 No 3 (Autumn)

Senate Reform: An Incremental Option

Although constitutional barriers to major Senate reform make the task appear daunting, significant change can be achieved through deliberate evolution which is shaped by consistent objectives. In this article the author identifies an incoherence about the defining purpose of the Senate as a central reason for the failure of past reform initiatives. Outlining the incremental reform option, he suggests practical steps, notably introducing a “job description” and particular qualifications required of Senate appointees. This could improve both appointments and accountability, and also support future nomination committees or other mechanisms.

Canada is once again experiencing a cycle of media attention to alleged Senate scandals and opinion polls showing wide support for change. Unless public emotion about the Senate can be connected to practical solutions and action, however, history suggests that today’s intensity will merely be the prelude to tomorrow’s fatigue and collective indifference. This article explores an approach to reform that does not rely upon constitutional change and could thus be initiated immediately. The Senate today is a very different institution from the Upper House created in 1867 and will continue to evolve, either by default or as a result of deliberate effort. If its evolution is shaped by consistent objectives, significant reform of the Senate can be accomplished incrementally.

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A Consideration of Cabinet Size

Article 5 / 10 , Vol 38 No 3 (Autumn)

A Consideration of Cabinet Size

Cabinet size has fluctuated in Canadian legislatures over the past century. Beginning in 1993, two federal governments introduced “roll back” cabinets which sought to significantly reduce the number of ministers. The author, focusing especially on the years 1993 to 2014, asks if Canadian governments have a “cabinet size problem.” He notes that since 1993 two trends have emerged: 1) cabinets are more likely to expand during government and more likely to consolidate between governments and 2) cabinet size is more likely to increase during government under centre-left parties than centre or centre-right parties. Although arguments for a reduction of cabinet size tend to focus on financial costs, the author highlights the political cost of having a large cabinet relative to the size of the legislature, as there are fewer private members to keep the government accountable.

Following a January 2014 cabinet shuffle, Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s 40-member federal ministry tied Brian Mulroney’s 1984 cabinet as the largest in Canadian history.1 Compared to other Westminster systems, Canadian cabinets have been noted for their large membership.2 Does Canada have a cabinet size problem? As Graham White wrote in 1990, “foreign visitors to Canada are frequently bewildered by the size of Canadian cabinets”.3 Beyond the institutional differences identified by political scientists between Westminster states, the size of the ministries in Canadian federal and provincial governments is subject to domestic scrutiny after each cabinet shuffle. On occasions of cabinet expansion, critics express austerity-themed worries of the cost of government and populist-based concerns of “too many politicians”. On occasions of cabinet reduction, first ministers are praised for “streamlining government” or “doing more with less”. Not surprisingly, Canadian politicians have been quick to pursue the positive responses to cabinet reduction, promising to appoint fewer ministers to cabinet.

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Parliamentary Bookshelf Vol 38 No 3

Article 6 / 10 , Vol 38 No 3 (Autumn)

Parliamentary Bookshelf

Joseph Tassé, Lord Beaconsfield and Sir John A. Macdonald: A Personal and Political Parallel (Montreal, 1891) Translated from the original in French by James Penny. Edited by Michel W. Pharand, School of Policy Studies, Queen’s University and McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2015, 85 p.

This is a welcome addition to the small production of books published in this year of Sir John A. Macdonald’s 200th anniversary. Michel W. Pharand, the long-time director of the Disraeli project at Queen’s University, brings together both the original version of Tassé’s pamphlet, first published in 1880, as well as the translation produced by James Penny in 1891. Pharand brings a rigorous scholar’s attention to the original text and the translation and alerts the reader to his numerous corrections. He also provides an admirably complete set of notes to establish context as well as enlightening explanations.

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CPA Activities: The Canadian Scene Vol 38 No 3

Article 8 / 10 , Vol 38 No 3 (Autumn)

CPA Activities: The Canadian Scene

53rd Canadian Regional Conference

More than 100 delegates were welcomed to Victoria by host jurisdiction British Columbia for the annual Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Canadian Regional Conference from July 19-25, 2015. The conference theme focused on parliamentary security.

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Sketches of Parliament and Parliamentarians Past: The Joe Howe Door and Responsible Government Vol 38 No 3

Article 10 / 10 , Vol 38 No 3 (Autumn)

Sketches of Parliament and Parliamentarians Past: The Joe Howe Door and Responsible Government

This article examines how the proceedings of Nova Scotia’s Legislative Council became open to the public and provides answers to a well-known legend in Province House.

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Know Your Mace: Northwest Territories Vol 38 No 2

Article 1 / 11 , Vol 38 No 2 (Summer)

Vol 38 No 2Know Your Mace: Northwest Territories

The current Mace of the Northwest Territories (NWT) was unveiled in January 2000. It was constructed by three artists – Bill Nasogaluak, Dolphus Cadieux and Allyson M. Simmie – who were dubbed ‘the snowflake team’. Sitting on the top of the Mace is a northern diamond. This 1.31 karat diamond rests on two ulus forming the shape of a tipi and within this shape is a cutout of a house. The ulu, tipi, and house represent all aboriginal and non-aboriginal peoples in the NWT. Beneath these symbols rests a band of silver engraved with the words “One Land, Many Voices” in 10 of the official languages of the NWT. The most distinctive feature of this Mace is its sound. Within the language band, shaft, and the foot are tiny pebbles collected from the 33 communities in the NWT. When moved, the shifting of the pebbles creates a magical sound similar to a rainstick, representing the united voices of the people and a firm reminder that we live on one land with many distinct voices.

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CPA Activities: The Canadian Scene Vol 38 No 2

Article 2 / 11 , Vol 38 No 2 (Summer)

CPA Activities: The Canadian Scene

Passing of Speaker Pierre Claude Nolin

The CPA-CR is very sad to report that Senate Speaker Pierre Claude Nolin passed away on April 23, 2015 after a five-year long battle with a rare form of cancer. Named to the Senate in 1993 by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, who remembered Speaker Nolin as a man with “great personal integrity” who served Canada “with dignity and honour at all times,” Nolin had been appointed Speaker of the Senate by Governor General David Johnston on the advice of Prime Minister Stephen Harper on November 26, 2014. He had served as Speaker pro tempore for a year previously.

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Roundtable: Some Editing Required: Producing Canada’s Hansards Vol 38 No 2

Article 3 / 11 , Vol 38 No 2 (Summer)

Roundtable: Some Editing Required: Producing Canada’s Hansards Vol 38 No 2

As producers of the official transcripts of parliamentary debates, Canada’s Hansards are responsible for ensuring parliamentarians and Canadians have a fair and accurate report of what happened on any given day on the floor of a legislature. In this roundtable, four directors/editors of Canadian Hansards discuss how their teams work to make the transition from “the colourful theatre of debate to the black and white specifics of text.”

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