Federal Politics Journal

Conservative MP Peter Van Loan and Conservative Senator Marjory LeBreton marked the one-year anniversary of the introduction of S-4, the Conservative Government’s Senate tenure bill by launching an advertising campaign calling upon Stéphane Dion to demonstrate leadership within his own Liberal caucus.

The campaign includes English-language TV and radio and a bilingual issue-specific website.

The Government’s bill – S-4, Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 (Senate tenure) - is a simple and sensible piece of legislation that restricts Senate terms from a current maximum of 45 years to a proposed new maximum of eight years. As of tomorrow, the Bill will have been held up in Senate study for one year which is surprising given that Stéphane Dion has supported restricting Senate tenure.

“The status quo of having unelected and unaccountable Senators serve for up to 45 years is just not acceptable,” said Van Loan. “The Liberal Senate’s delay of the Senate tenure bill is yet another example of a party that pines for the past and has not learned the lessons of its defeat on January 23rd 2006.”

Liberal stonewalling on S-4 has further called into question Stéphane Dion’s leadership abilities. In the past, Dion has called for restrictions on Senate tenure, preferring terms anywhere from six to 15 years. Despite their leader’s support for term limits, Liberal Senators have ignored Dion and continued to block the bill.

“This issue demonstrates once again that Stéphane Dion is not a leader,” said LeBreton. “It is quite incredible that the Leader of the Opposition, despite having taken a very clear stand on Senate tenure, is unable to persuade or force the vested interests of the Liberal Party to accept a reasonable and progressive reform.”

The Conservative advertising campaign begins tomorrow with the website www.notaleader.ca going live today.

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