总理杜鲁多的声明:
“The Government is today taking further concrete steps to follow through on its commitment to reform the Senate, restore public trust, and bring an end to partisanship in the appointments process.”
“The Senate appointments I have announced today will help advance the important objective to transform the Senate into a less partisan and more independent institution that can perform its fundamental roles in the legislative process more effectively–including the representation of regional and minority interests–by removing the element of partisanship, and ensuring that the interests of Canadians are placed before political allegiances.”
反对党保守党民主机构事务评论员Scott Reid和民主机构副评论员Blake Richards的声明:
“The Prime Minister has demonstrated yet again, on the senate just as on a growing list, that he says one thing but does another. Five appointments were promised, but seven were delivered. The Prime Minister, on a whim, still chooses the names, the number, and the timing of senate appointments. His actions show that little has changed.
“Canadians overwhelmingly favour senate elections or abolition, and deserve more than fresh paint on a tired, undemocratic process. Regardless of the merits of those appointed, the new senators were still appointed from secret short lists, created by an unelected, unaccountable board that reports to the Prime Minister himself. This process does nothing to make the selection of senators more transparent or more democratic. Whether it in fact leads to more independent senators or a less partisan senate remains to be seen. Despite the flowery words from the Prime Minister, today’s announcement shows that business continues largely as usual.
“We remain concerned that these first Liberal appointments were required to be sponsored for consideration in secret, under a prohibitively short deadline, and that the identity of those sponsors will remain unknown. The secrecy surrounding recommendations for appointment is unacceptable and undemocratic. We remain dissatisfied that the Liberal government has ruled out honouring the democratic and constitutionally legitimate choices made by Canadians who were given the opportunity to elect senatorial candidates in Alberta. Each of these decisions run counter to the Prime Minister’s claims of transparency, reform, and greater respect for Canadians.”
据CTV报道,新民主党国会议员Erin Weir表示,应该废除参议院。
"Saskatchewan New Democrat Erin Weir told Power Play he thinks the government should follow the lead of the provinces and abolish the upper chamber.
“It doesn’t make sense in a democracy to have appointees able to overrule or obstruct democratic decisions made by elected officials,” he said, offering the example of NDP climate change legislation that passed in the House of Commons but was killed in the Senate." |