Further Comment on Senate Reform

The Canadian senate was established to ensure distinct regions had a voice, a voice easily lost in the cacophony of representation by population. It is not nor has it ever been "illegitimate". A serious problem with the senate are the rules on how it is populated as they allowed its members to become the puppets of the Prime Minister, and the party they head, who makes the nominations to the Governor General and the Governor General who never questions the nominations. It was further weakened by the fact it gave too much sway to Upper and Lower Canada (now Ontario and Quebec) while at the same time not really taking into consideration national growth and the formation of new Provinces.

While many can say Justin Trudeau has loosened the political grip on Senators all of the weaknesses are still there, ready to be abused if a prime minister is so willing. Unfortunately to change the rules on how senators are even nominated requires amending the Canadian Constitution, as does "abolishing the senate". To make an amendment to the constitution requires, according to section 38(1) of the Constitution Act "(a) resolutions of the Senate and the House of Commons; and (b) resolutions of the legislative assemblies of at least two-thirds of the provinces that have, in the aggregate, according to the then latest general census, at least fifty per cent of the population of the provinces." (http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/Const/page-16.html).

So is any reform of the Senate possible? Only if a compromise can be found that satisfies either Ontario or Quebec (need one or the other to meet the 50% population mark as those two combine for about 62% of the current population). Sir Wilfred Laurier was noted for his ability to get compromise. Until we have another national leader of Laurier's skill and ability we won't be seeing any real effective change. And I doubt very much Justin Trudeau is anywhere as skilled or able as Laurier was.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Canadian_provinces_and_territories_by_population