Canadian Politics - Senate Reform in Canada - Essay Example

Senate reforms are also looked at from a positive outlook based on the comprehension of their connection with democracy and the legitimate establishment of representative institutions that are linked with democratic processes such as electing Senators rather than relying on an appointment procedure upon the discretion of the prime minister. The essay also aims to shed light upon the effectiveness of Senate reforms by analyzing whether a direct electorate process is applicable in the Canadian political structure and what alternatives can be explored to enhance the legitimacy of the Canadian Senate by using the reforms applied by the Australian Senate as a primary model, so that the Canadian Senate reforms can be categorized as legitimate, democratic and most of all applicable to the nation of Canada.

The essay follows an assessment on the prospects of senate reform in Canada to conclude both the negative and positive aspects of its implications and impact to conclude whether Senate reforms would prove to be favorable for the Canadian democracy. Carbert suggested that the possibility of senate reform has always been such that its implications on minorities do not often come under discussion. Understanding the effects of a senate reform whether negative or positive becomes even more important when acknowledging the fact that women constitute of a significant percentage in the Senate compared to any other legislative body in Canada.

The Senate Appointment Consultations Act postulates that the Prime Minister no longer holds the authority to appoint Senators rather a voting process should be put into place which allows a democratic placement of Senators (Carbert 1). The proposed elements of the Bill C-20 stand on four crucial tenets which are of a preferential voting system, funding for campaigning, a board of nominations and regional magnitude. A scrutiny of these components of the bill suggest that women in the proposed situation could be at a