O O Ø O O O O
Double-E Senate
The idea of a triple-E senate has been getting some buzz again, thanks to Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s musings about the Québécois as a nation, and the attendant spectre of another round of constitutional negotiations.
The triple-E senate—equal, elected, effective—has long been the panacaea of the disaffected west. With a relevant and powerful upper chamber, the far flung territories will finally have their voice in federation, and a true line of defence against those unconstitutional transgressions westerners like to keep bringing up.
From a libertarian’s perspective however, a triple-E senate is the last thing this country needs.
If we incorporate another federal organ with the power to create law, we will have doubled the possibilities for expanding government at the federal level.
The effective moniker isn’t really the problem. What we have now—a nearly hereditary chamber of career yes-men—isn’t better for its inability to create spending programmes. Additionally, no one outside of Ontario and Québec could complain about the equal component. Does two senators per province sound fair? Agreed.
The problem with a triple-E senate is the elected part.
An effective senate must exist as a stalwart against the intrusion of the federal government into constitutional provincial jurisdiction. As such, senators must be appointed to short terms by provincial governments, making them directly answerable to regional concerns.
Those with long memories—or internet access—will know that this is exactly how the United States constitution was arranged. They might also recall that that document protected Americans from the tyranny of big government for over 100 years before it succumbed to the machinations of generations of megalomaniacal presidents hell-bent on its destruction.
One of the long knives in the back of the US constitution was the 17th amendment, which took the dubiously democratic step of requiring the election of senators. The result was a bicambrial race between the Senate and the House of Representatives to see which chamber could bring home the most federal pork, oblivious to the intentions of state governments.
Lest we want the same sort of preposterously powerful fed in Canada, we must take care never to create a second body of programme-makers. While Canadians may be terribly overgoverned, at least we aren’t burdened with the weight of that thing from the Potomac that our unfortunate siblings to the south have to bear.
By all means, let’s reform the senate, but while we’re at it, let’s make sure it becomes a useful tool for liberty. Let’s support a double-E—equal, effective—senate.
Evan Spence
December 5, 2006
OOØOOOODCCLXXXV
December 6th, 2006 at 9:39 pm
Bicambrial!
December 8th, 2006 at 12:34 pm
This is one way to allow an elected senate to work without becoming another pork barrel distrubuter. Have an elected senate with 2 members per province, but don’t allow them to make legislation. They can only allow or disallow anything that comes from parliment. A simple yea/nea vote on what ever comes up from parliment. And none of this parliment overiding senate business.