Layton: ban insiders, fundraisers from Senate

The Canadian Press:

NDP Leader Jack Layton wants the Prime Minister to ban party insiders and fundraisers from the Senate as a concrete first step toward a broader overhaul.

Layton said his party stands by its long-time goal of abolishing the Senate completely.

But in the meantime, Layton says Stephen Harper should live up to his promises of the past and make the Senate more democratic and accountable, one step at a time.

He is asking Harper to stop appointing failed party candidates and party insiders to the Senate. And he wants the government to stop senators from fundraising.

“Let me tell you, just because someone flipped pancakes for the Conservative Party doesn’t give them the right to turn down legislation that was adopted by the majority of elected representatives of the Canadian people,” Layton told a parliamentary study group.

“Too often, today’s Senate is doing partisan work, killing legislation or, for that matter, fundraising for the Conservative party. And they’re doing it all with public money.”

“It makes a joke of our democratic system.”

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