Less is more in our Senate

Re: “‘Ex’ marks the spot for true reform,” Editorial, June 11 While the expense scandal certainly provides ample reason to have “sober second thoughts” about the future of the Senate — such as curtailing its power, or even deep-sixing it altogether — surely the best argument for Senate reform is to be found in another set of numbers:

The U.S., with a population of 313,914,000 (2012), has 100 elected senators. Canada, with a population of only 34,483,000 (2011), has 105 appointed senators.

Why not two senators for each province and territory, for a total of 26 to be elected — perish the thought! — not appointed?

How about thinking smaller yet with respect to the 308 MPs in the House of Commons? They represent a California-sized population, when our neighbour to the south manages to represent nearly 10 times that population with 435 representatives.

E.W. Bopp, Tsawwassen, B.C.