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Experts in B.C., Alberta don’t like Harper’s Senate reforms

Survey of profs finds few like the Conservative approach

An email survey of professors of political science, Canadian history and constitutional law at universities in British Columbia and Alberta found they stand opposed to the Conservative government’s plan to overhaul the federal Senate by a 3-1 margin. Of the 25 academics who got back to the Vancouver Sun on the issue, 18 said Harper’s legislation was against their provinces’ interests. The reform bill, which is being debated this week in Parliament, would limit senators’ terms to a nine years and set out a scheme for non-binding elections of future senators. Some professors objected to the possibility of the Senate becoming more powerful. Some protested against reforming the upper chamber without redistributing seats; based on their populations, BC and Alberta are grossly underrepresented in the Senate, whereas Ontario, Quebec and, especially, the Maritme provinces have many more senators per capita.

Vancouver Sun

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