Filling Senate vacancies is an urgent issue

Preserving the democratic fabric of our country is probably more important than any immediate issue touching on the environment, the economy, health care, culture or help to the disadvantaged here or overseas. Voters should be mistrustful of any candidate seeking leadership who displays a disregard for Canada’s basic democratic processes.

The Constitution of Canada imposes on the government the duty to make appointments to fill vacancies in many public offices as they arise, notably the Supreme Court of Canada, the superior courts of the provinces and the Senate. A leader who fails to make such appointments is acting in defiance of our Constitution.

In one announcement of his intention not to appoint more senators, our current prime minister said: “I don’t think I’m getting a lot of call from Canadians to name more senators right about now.” This is not leadership. The prime minister need not wait until he gets “a lot of call from Canadians” before acting on his constitutional mandate.

No leader should be permitted to disregard constitutional duties to achieve a political aim. Stephen Harper is not the only national leader who appears to be prepared to leave Senate vacancies unfilled in order to force reform. But if a prime minister wants to make changes to the Senate, it must be done within the current constitutional amending process, unwieldy though that might appear. Otherwise, what happens to the rule of law?

If we allow a single powerful individual to undermine the Senate through inaction, what other Canadian institution could be next? Robert Gill Victoria