Category Archives: Senate Reform

Extra-Constitutional Reform of the Senate of Canada

Posted on 2019/12/27 by J.W.J. Bowden

The latest issue of The Dorchester Review includes my piece on “The Founders’ Senate.” In this article, I outline how the Senate of Canada, and the Legislative Council of the Province of Canada, functioned as partisan legislative bodies from the … Continue reading →

Posted in Articles, Dorchester Review, History of British North America, Senate Reform | Leave a comment

Toronto Newspaper Attacks the Undemocratic Centralization of Power in the Prime Minister and the Corrupt, Unelected Senate

Posted on 2013/06/13 by J.W.J. Bowden

I’d like to thank James Anderson and National News Watch for having published my column on putting the current parliamentary scandals into historical perspective. “The Power of the Prime Minister” In “The Power of the Prime Minister”, the editorial board … Continue reading →

Posted in Articles and Books, Crown (Powers and Office), Prime Minister's Powers, Reform, Reviews, Senate Reform | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Harper Government’s Senate Reform Bill (C-7) and Its Implications on Crown Prerogative and Responsible Government

Posted on 2011/10/27 by J.W.J. Bowden

Introduction Since the 39th Parliament, the Harper government has tried and failed to pass bills that would limit the tenure of Senators to somewhere between 8 and 12 years and provide a legislative framework for provincial senatorial elections along the … Continue reading →

Posted in Crown (Powers and Office), Prime Minister's Powers, Responsible Government, Senate Reform | Tagged , , , , , , | 12 Comments

The History of Senate Reform, 1867 to 1913

Posted on 2011/10/13 by J.W.J. Bowden

I reviewed the political philosophical debate on the merits of the elective versus appointive upper house, and the elective Legislative Council in the earlier post. We’re all generally familiar with the modern proposals for Senate Reform (post-1980), essentially the “Triple-E … Continue reading →

Posted in Responsible Government, Senate Reform | 4 Comments

From Leader to Laggard in Elective Upper Houses: Canada’s Elective Legislative Council, 1856-1867

Posted on 2011/10/11 by J.W.J. Bowden

Introduction Most Canadians are probably unaware that for a brief period in our history, the upper house in the United Province of Canada (called a Legislative Council) was making the transition from an appointive chamber to an elective one, between … Continue reading →

Posted in Responsible Government, Senate Reform, Separation of Powers | 4 Comments