Yes it would have been interesting with a Campbell Turner team. Unfortunately we will never know. Also I rather doubt if Garth would have a hope in hell of becoming Finance Minister under Dion’s leadership because his position on finance is way to far conservative for Dion and the current left Liberals of today..

My point was that if Charest was in power, the damage wouldn’t have been as severe. I wonder how Canada would be now if Kim Cambell and Garth Turner as Finance Minister would have won that election…

That is purely up to the PM. In theory, the PM could appoint 30 year olds to the Senate to serve for 40 years. But if you want actual numbers, to date, only one senator has ever served a term of 45 years or longer, 28 senators have served terms of 35 years or more. So no, I didn’t pull that number out of my ass. There have been senators who served significantly long terms.

And no mention of what was really proposed by the opposition (a 12-year term as opposed to an 8-year term, was it? Look, I’m a not a Liberal or a Liberal supporter but you were being mighty selective (and disingenous) with your info.

No I wasn’t being disingenous. Hunter Mars never pointed out the compromise either.

There’s a very good reason to oppose the Cons Senate proposal – a two-term PM could completely, and I mean totally stack the Senate with their own partisans.

Now you are being disingenous. You are forgetting about the second half of the senate reform where the provinces recommend the people for appointment. If SK decides to elect an NDP, then the PM will appoint that NDP senator.

Is that what you prefer? A Senate 100% comprised of members of one party?

Oh, like now? Where a majority are always Liberal cronies?

This isn’t Senate ‘reform’. True Senate reform must begin with a re-allocation of seats. Then we can talk about ‘terms’.

That would require full Constitutional reform. That is nearly impossible under the current formula as Loh_Numa has pointed out.

Of course Harper will do nothing on true Senate reform because he, the great ‘uniter’

Constitution reform under the current formula is impossible for ANY PM.

To be honest, I was surprised at your comment about ‘40 year terms’. Is that a new ‘talking point’?

No. It is a fact. Senators can serve for 40 years. If I was PM, I would be appointing 30 year olds just to show how broken the system is.