Above: Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne says she wants the federal government to take the lead on any movement to reform or abolish the Senate.
NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE, Ont. – Saskatchewan premier’s efforts to get his provincial and territorial counterparts to support his call for Senate abolition fell flat Friday at a premier’s summit, despite the expense scandal that’s engulfed Ottawa.
Brad Wall, a vocal opponent of the upper house, made his case before the Council of the Federation meeting wrapped up, but there was no further discussion on the matter.
“Different premiers are at different spots in respect to their view on the Senate,” he said during a break in the meeting.
There are more pressing issues, including the economy and health care, Wall said. “Frankly, disasters are happening that are far more important.”
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, who hosted the event, isn’t in favour of abolishing the Senate, unlike her predecessor Dalton McGuinty.
It’s something the federal government is dealing with and has been referred to the courts as a constitutional matter, she said.
There is “consternation and concern” about the behaviour of some senators, Wynne said. But that’s a separate issue from the broader debate about the existence of the Senate.
“That’s a different discussion and I don’t think should be driven by a particular individual’s behaviour,” she added.
But P.E.I. Premier Robert Ghiz said he doesn’t believe the premiers will be consulted about it when the time comes.
“Harper is not interested in even talking to the premiers about anything, so most likely he’s not going to bring us together to talk about the constitution or the Senate.”
According to a high-ranking provincial official, one of the premiers quipped during the meeting: “We shouldn’t abolish the Senate, we should abolish Mike Duffy.”
Duffy, who represents Prince Edward Island, is one of the senators who has been mired in controversy for allegedly misrepresenting his primary residence as P.E.I. instead of Ottawa to collect thousands of dollars in living expenses.
The RCMP is also investigating the involvement of Nigel Wright, Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s former chief of staff, in giving Duffy $90,000 so he could reimburse the Senate for improperly claimed living expenses.
Wright resigned after admitting he gave the money to Duffy. Harper has insisted Wright did not tell him about the “gift” until after news of it leaked out.
Asked about his position on the Senate, given that Duffy represents his province, Ghiz joked: “I thought he was an Ontario senator.”
Ghiz said he’s willing to try for an elected senate. But it isn’t a priority for the premiers, he said, it’s a “hot button issue.”
But as Canada approaches its 150th anniversary, he said, it should examine whether the Senate is fulfilling its purpose to represent the country’s different regions.
“Is that happening today? Some people would say no,” Ghiz said. “So does it have to evolve so it can represent our regions across the country? I think it should.”
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