Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Essay on Democracy deficit in canada
Canadian senate reform
Canada's democracy essay
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
SENATE: IT SHOULD STAY
Introduction
Canada has an upper chamber of the federal legislature called as “Senate”. This paper analyzes the factors those reflect towards the thought to keep Senate. Part 1 of the paper explores the creation of the senate through Constitution shedding some light on its lifeline. Senate lies at the heart of the agreements that gave birth to the Canadian federation. Part 2 of the paper analyzes and examines the key factors to support the support my statement to keep Senate. To provide a better understanding at some points, I will relate to out of country references. The last part will be covering the conclusion.......
I
Senate is one of Canada’s foundational political intuitions which lie at the heart of the agreements that gave birth to the Canadian federation.
…show more content…
The framer of the Constitution Act, 1867 sought to adapt the British Form of government to a new country, in order to have a “Constitution similar in Principle to the of the United Kingdom”: preamble.
They wanted to preserve the British structure of a lower legislative chamber composed of elected representatives , an upper legislative chamber made up of elites appointed by the Crown, and the Crown as head of state.+++
Canada has developed as one of the major developed countries in the world. People globally put themselves into different types of immigration processes everyday to be a part of the country. My last statement may not prove anything but can make one think of the obvious fact that undoubtedly, Canada is one of the best places to live in the world. I emigrated from India with my family with the same kind of thoughts in mind- safety in terms of better law and order, better economy and lifestyle. These thoughts have been achieved by Canada nevertheless from its strong
foundation. II In this part I will critically examine the key factors to support my statement to keep the Senate. Canada's first Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, called the Senate a place of "sober second thought. (http://www.parl.gc.ca/About/Senate/FAQJuniorVersion/brochure-e.htm. To keep the complexity minimal for both the parties, I will take some key factors into consideration. 1. Regional representation My support to keep Senate is based on the criticism of not changing the non-constitutional framework of the House of Commons. Regional representation has been a strong point by the House of Commons or other political parties to abolish Senate. Canadian might be deceiving them if they have this reason against Senate. Regional representation can be improved without changing the basic foundation of the Constitution. Senate is made by Constitution and to amend the Constitution- As per Section 38 of Constitution Act, Amendments to the Constitution of Canada must be authorized by resolutions of the Senate, the House of Commons, and legislative assemblies of at least seven provinces of all provinces.
The Founding Fathers and Canada’s Founders both faced many obstacles and concerns when working towards creating the best possible form of government for their respectable nations. The Federalist Papers seek to counter the Articles of Confederation whereas Canada’s Founding Debates is a discussion between supporters and opponents of Confederation. Between the Founding Fathers and Canada’s Founders in the Founding Papers chapter Federal Union, there are many common concerns about the future of the country. When there is a change in how a country is structured, it brings concern over group rights and interest being ignored for the common good, and it is very
... A successful strategy in the accommodation of national minorities within a liberal democracy could be founded upon mutual trust, recognition and sound financial arrangements. However, a certain degree of tension between central and regional institutions may remain as a constant threat in this complex relationship since they entertain opposing aims. The federal governments determination to protect its territorial integrity, and its will to foster a single national identity among its citizens clashes with Quebec’s wish to be recognized as a separate nation and decide upon its political destiny and to foster its distinct identity (Guibernau pg.72). Moreover, if the ROC and the federal government can come to an agreement on terms that satisfy the majority and an identity that encompasses the heart of a country; Canada will continue to exist with or without Quebec.
Democracy is more than merely a system of government. It is a culture – one that promises equal rights and opportunity to all members of society. Democracy can also be viewed as balancing the self-interests of one with the common good of the entire nation. In order to ensure our democratic rights are maintained and this lofty balance remains in tact, measures have been taken to protect the system we pride ourselves upon. There are two sections of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms that were implemented to do just this. Firstly, Section 1, also known as the “reasonable limits clause,” ensures that a citizen cannot legally infringe on another’s democratic rights as given by the Charter. Additionally, Section 33, commonly referred to as the “notwithstanding clause,” gives the government the power to protect our democracy in case a law were to pass that does not violate our Charter rights, but would be undesirable. Professor Kent Roach has written extensively about these sections in his defence of judicial review, and concluded that these sections are conducive to dialogue between the judiciary and the legislature. Furthermore, he established that they encourage democracy. I believe that Professor Roach is correct on both accounts, and in this essay I will outline how sections 1 and 33 do in fact make the Canadian Charter more democratic. After giving a brief summary of judicial review according to Roach, I will delve into the reasonable limits clause and how it is necessary that we place limitations on Charter rights. Following this, I will explain the view Professor Roach and I share on the notwithstanding clause and how it is a vital component of the Charter. To conclude this essay, I will discuss the price at which democr...
The Senate is an unnecessary part of our government and should be abolished. A senator's job is to provide a final check on legislations passed in the House of Commons; they can also introduce bills, but is very uncommon. However, the Senate is corrupted and cost taxpayers money for work that they rarely do. Did you know that the average senator only went to work 72 times last year? Some people argue that we should reform the Senate instead of abolishing it, but it would increase taxes and why should we reform something that has little purpose in the first place? To add onto that, due to the fact that the Senate is appointed, there's little representation for the western provinces in Canada.
Canada itself claims to be democratic, yet the Canadian Senate is appointed to office by the current Prime Minister rather than elected by the citizens. The original purpose of the Senate was to give fair representation between provinces and to the citizens. Having failed its purpose, clearly there are issues within the Senate that need to be addressed. Because of the Prime Minister appointing the Senators, they will now serve the Prime Ministers needs rather than the people who they should have been listening to. As if this were not enough of a show of power for the Prime Minister, the Senators cannot be lawfully kicked out of office until the age of seventy-five. An example of Senate idiosyncrasy in Canadian government is Ross Fitzpatrick, who was appointed to office by former Prime Minister Jean Chretien of the Liberals in June 1990. His official opponent, Preston Manning, rightfully questioned the circumstances regardin...
First, some background on the subject. Canada is divided into 308 ridings, and each riding elects one person to represent all the citizens in that riding. The party that wins the most ridings forms the government, and if that party has gained more than half the seats, as is usually the case, they form a majority and have the ability to pass any bill in the House of Commons that they wish, regardless of the opinions that other representatives have. This SMP system has remained unchanged in Canada since Confederation in 1867. On the other hand there is proportional representation, which is broken down into two main forms: Mixed Member Proportionality (MMP) and Single Transferable Vote (STV). MMP was first put into use ...
The Prime Minister of Canada is given much power and much responsibility. This could potentially create a dangerous situation if the government held a majority and was able to pass any legislation, luckily this is not the case. This paper will argue that there are many limitations, which the power of the prime minister is subject too. Three of the main limitations, which the Prime Minister is affected by, are; first, federalism, second the governor general and third, the charter of rights and freedoms. I will support this argument by analyzing two different types of federalism and how they impact the power of the Prime Minister. Next I will look at three of the Governor Generals Powers and further analyze one of them. Last I will look at the impact of the charter from the larger participation the public can have in government, and how it increased the power of the courts.
Stilborn, Jack. Senate Reform: Issues and Recent Developments. Ottawa: Parliamentary Information and Research Service, 2008.
In 2012, the Canadian Senate became embroiled in a scandal that is still ongoing, and still having an effect on Canadian political life today. At times in the 20th century, there have been calls for the reform, or even the abolition of the Senate completely. The current scandal has resulted a renewal of the frequent calls for reform that have frequently accompanied the many questionable actions of Senators. The structure of the Senate, and its outdated rules of appointment and procedure are also frequently the target of reformers in Canada. It is the contention of this paper that the Canadian Senate be reformed to represent the democracy that is Canada in the 21st Century, as this body is outdated and representative of entrenched party interests, as well as of a system that dates back to the days of aristocratic and upper-class privilege.
Not only do we have a lot to offer Canadian citizens, here is a list of reasons to immigrate to Canada provided by KAM International:
The Canadian Senate is a distinct legislative body that differs from other administrations of government. Its role of careful analysis as well as deliberation within the government is fundamental to democracy as it ensures progression of government initiatives. However, controversy of the functionality of the Senate lingers regarding its position as a “sober second thought” representing the general Canadian population in government action (Mintz, Close, & Croci, 2013; Canadian Bar Association, 2012; Brooks & Menard, 2013). Concern has also ensued on whether or not specific reform ideas and other bills considering such reform are constitutional (Canadian Bar Association, 2012; Brooks & Menard, 2013). It is clear that scrutiny of the Senate is
The Canadian Senate is continuously called into question as reform becomes increasingly popular among members of society who question its validity. Originally created to provide a “sober second thought” on the House of Commons, the Senate is meant to introduce and vote on legislation (excluding money bills) and provide protections for provincial rights. Senators are chosen by the Prime Minister, but appointed by the governor general, usually along party lines; “almost all senators have declared loyalties to a political party and highly political career backgrounds.” The current qualifications for senators are as follows: “They may be male or female, over 30 years of age, own at least $4000 in property, and be residents of the respective provinces
Since the ministry of Pierre Elliot Trudeau, Canadians and political scientists have questioned whether the Prime Minister of Canada has held to much power, this has been considered a fundamental problem in Canada’s parliamentary system. This essay will examine the role of the prime minister, the effects of party discipline, the centralization of power to the prime minister, and assert that power has been concentrated into the hands of the prime minister, further weakening the role of parliament as a source of democratic input.
A reformed senate should reflect Canadian’s diversity, moreover better representing minority groups such as aboriginals and women (3). As it is now, most of the Canadian Senate is comprised of older, white men, however as Parliament is the body that represents Canada, it should be held at a higher standard (3). A proper proportional representation system would provide greater opportunities for smaller parties, minorities and women to win senate seats, which is very crucial in reflecting Canada.
Canada is a great place to live, because it is very diverse. country. The sand is a sand. It is multicultural, it’s considered a Melting Pot. Many people from many nations come together to make this country special and unique to us.