VICTORIA — British Columbia's Liberal government is not impressed with federal Liberal plans to overhaul the Senate appointment process.
In a terse statement, Premier Christy Clark says B.C. will not participate in the newly announced process to appoint members to the upper chamber.
(1/3) BC will not participate in the process outlined today to appoint senators. #bcpoli #cdnpoli
— Christy Clark (@christyclarkbc) December 3, 2015
Clark says the changes don't resolve the Senate's failure to represent British Columbians or address provincial concerns at the national level.
She calls for the Senate to be "fixed or folded," but says B.C. should not be distracted by it.
(2/3) Today's changes don’t address our concerns – Senate has never represented BC’s interests at the national level. #bcpoli #cdnpoli
— Christy Clark (@christyclarkbc) December 3, 2015
Federal Democratic Institutions Minister Maryam Monsef has announced that five board members, three from the federal level and two ad-hoc members from the provinces, will select Senate candidates based on public criteria.
(3/3) We’re focused on strong economy/job creation, and will continue to work with feds to strengthen BC & Canada together. #bcpoli #cdnpoli
— Christy Clark (@christyclarkbc) December 3, 2015
She says a transition advisory board will begin selecting five senators immediately — two from Ontario, two from Manitoba and one from Quebec, in order to improve regional balance in the Senate.
