And when it comes to the Senate it seems that most Canadians would prefer reform to abolition (you can't count me as one who prefers reform as well).
When asked to choose whether to keep or abolish the Senate, a slight plurality (45 per cent) said they would choose to disband the chamber, compared to those who would keep it as it is (41 per cent). Another 14 per cent said they didn't know or declined to answer.
But, given the option of improving the existing Senate, a majority of Canadians (52 per cent) said they would favour reforms that would "make it, for instance, an elected body," while 24 per cent said they would still prefer it be done away with completely. Only 16 per cent said they would want to keep the red chamber "as it is" today.
Comments (4)
My opinion vascillates between all three positions, actually, and when I’m preferring reform, I also vascillate between different kinds of reform. Mostly, though, I feel like I don’t have enough information to make a good decision about this. And if I don’t, I suspect most of the people polled don’t, either.
It seems like the kind of issue where only a citizens’ assembly could make a decision that would really be in the citizens’ best interest, actually.
Posted by Idealistic Pragmatist | November 13, 2007 11:29 AM
Posted on November 13, 2007 11:29
Given the way the assembly was treated in Ontario (shabby, shabby, shabby), why would anyone in his/her right mind volunteer for a body like that? It is beyond me. We elect the politicians to make proposals and pass laws (in citizens assemblies called legislatures). Let them do it. No more passing off their responsibilities to lambs to be led to slaughter.
Posted by Greg | November 13, 2007 1:01 PM
Posted on November 13, 2007 13:01
“It seems like the kind of issue where only a citizens’ assembly could make a decision that would really be in the citizens’ best interest, actually.”
You mean an assembly of all those people who aren’t quite as clever as you? Very trusting.
Posted by The Needle | November 13, 2007 7:38 PM
Posted on November 13, 2007 19:38
(1) Senate reform has been proposed in the past, but failed when it was put to vote. Were opinion polls done then? If so, what were the outcomes?
(2) Given the fact that status quo is the least popular option, and by quite a margin, why are status quo and abolition the proposed referendum options? In particular, why should status quo even be an option? It would make sense to me that, if there are going to be only two options on the referendum ballot, it should be between the two most popular options, in this case, abolition vs. reform.
Posted by Randy | November 14, 2007 3:54 PM
Posted on November 14, 2007 15:54