Getting things done: Senate reform examined
David Tilson MP DufferinCaledon

Prime Minister Harper recently made Canadian history by appearing in front of a Senate committee, in Ottawa. He was the first sitting prime minister to address the Senate on the important issue of Senate reform. In the last election, Prime Minister Harper and the Conservatives promised to make Canada's Senate an effective, independent, and democratically-elected body. Prime Minister Harper took the first step towards delivering on this promise for Canadians, by taking his reform proposals directly to Canada's Senators. September 7, Prime Minister Harper appeared before the Senate Committee on Legal Affairs to ask the Committee to support long overdue reforms to the Senate by supporting Bill S-4. This particular bill, an Act to Amend the Constitution Act, 1867 (Senate Tenure), was introduced to the Senate on May 30, 2006, and proposes to limit Senate terms to eight years. Currently, senators serve from the time of their appointment until the age of 75 years. S-4 doesn't promise fullscale Senate reform, but it is a step forward in bringing positive change to democratic legitimacy. If adopted, eight year terms would roughly equate to the lifespan of two consecutive majority governments, which is a fair and reasonable proposal that represents the expectations of Canadians. Presently, Senators can and sometimes are appointed for terms of 15, 30, or even 45 years, which is out of touch with our Canada in the 21st century and a practice that has few parallels in modern western democracies.

The Conservative government believes there is still more work to do with respect to Senate reform beyond limiting terms to eight years. The government intends to introduce a bill in the House of Commons this fall, to create a process to choose elected Senators. The bill will serve to further demonstrate how committed the Conservative government is towards the issue of Senate reform and to fulfilling the promises it has made to Canadians for accountable and responsible government.

It is time to deliver change for Canadians.

Cherish

your grandparents

September 10 we celebrated Grandparents Day. It's a wonderful time to pause and acknowledge the many wonderful and thoughtful things that grandparents do, not only for their grandchildren, but for their children as well. It presents an opportunity to thank those special people in our lives, who often selflessly do so many things without expecting anything in return and are always there to listen and support us.

Grandparents Day began with a lady named Marian McQuade, who was a housewife in Fayette County, West Virginia. She decided to campaign for the idea to set aside one day each year to recognize grandparents. Her hope was to champion the cause of lonely elderly in nursing homes and for grandchildren to learn from the wisdom and heritage their grandparents could share.

Ms McQuade shared her idea with civic, business,

church, and political leaders, and before long, her campaign was statewide. The first Grandparents Day was proclaimed in 1973, in West Virginia, by the governor at the time. Ms McQuade continued her campaign to have the day recognized nationally and in 1978, five years after its West Virginia inception, the United States Congress passed legislation proclaiming the first Sunday after Labour Day as National Grandparents Day. The proclamation was signed by President Jimmy Carter and many other countries followed suit shortly thereafter.

Grandparents Day is truly a family day. In many places, schools, churches, and seniors organizations honoured grandparents by hosting special events. Some families recognized the day by enjoying small, private celebrations, while others celebrated by hosting a family reunion. There are many other activities that

can be done to keep the momentum of this c e l e b r a t i o n : a s s i s t i n g children in identifying photos in old family albums; having a grandparent teach a hobby or craft to a grandchild; construct a family tree and involve grandparents and children, or have a grandparent share family traditions and customs with everyone.

If you were unable to be with a grandparent on this day, I encourage you to give them a call or send them a card to thank them for everything they do for you and your family. They will appreciate it!