In October, I sent an email on election reforms I would like to see to Todd Doherty, who is my Member of Parliament.
During the last election, vote results were being released from the eastern time zones while we in the West were still voting. My email suggested that it would be better to have election results released the day following the vote at noon Ontario time. Prior to the Internet, election results were released at 8 p.m. Pacific time. This prevented election results being influenced while other Canadians were voting.
The second part of my letter had to do with senate reform: I would grandfather existing senators. When the Senate was established it was designed to represent the regions. In B.C. right now we have five senators, one in the north, one in the Okanagan and three in the Lower Mainland. I feel that we are asking one Senator Neufield to do too much by representing over half the province.
My email also suggested that the province be divided into equal sized areas. New senators would come from these areas through the provincial popular vote.
In other words if the provincial popular vote was 30 per cent Liberal, 30 per cent Conservative, three per cent NDP and 10 per cent Greens, then if 10 seats were available, there would be Liberals, Conservatives and the NDP with 3 seats each and one for the Greens.
These people would have had to run in that provincial election.
Their term would last till the next provincial election. This would mean that the senator would become accountable.
One thing I did not forgot to write was that I feel that one First Nation person from each province and territory be included in the numbers of the Senate.
I received a form letter from Maryam Monsef, MP Minister of Democratic Institutions. I felt insulted by her. Somehow I find it hard to believe these people are not that busy as to sit down and dictate a letter and answer my email about things I would like to see achieved. Since Maryam Monsef did not treat my email with the respect, I think it deserved, I feel insulted to the point I feel she should resign from political life.
I did respond back to Maryam Monsef: "After reading your response to my suggestions I was taken aback and left wondering if you had understood what I was suggesting. I was left disappointed that you didn't respond anywhere that I could see to the main drift of my submission. I expected better.
"If my ideas didn't make sense then I expected you to say where and what I could have suggested to make my ideas more acceptable. I'm a grown man and can accept criticism. The senate in my opinion can't function in its present form. It has become no more than a reward for the ruling party hacks. I for one believe that the senate needs change if we can't rid of it."
I feel it is my duty to inform anyone reading this letter that I am currently the vice-president for the NDP in the federal riding of Prince George-Cariboo.
Stan New
Prince George
