EDITOR,
Any consideration on the Senate must ask what's it for ("The Senate and other 'excesses,'" Moving Planets, Chief, March 7). The answer to that is whatever one's imagination gives, for there is nothing clearly designated. It has been suggested review of passed legislation in an unpartisan manner by a very partisan body representing only one conservative party or another. How this can be a counterweight to the government that appointed it is not reasonable. That senators represent the part of the country from which they were extracted is like saying that members of the lower house represent their riding when in fact everybody knows that all MPs only represent their political parties. Proper representation will not occur until we have real proportional representation and quit election by riding. One-third of the vote for any one party should give one-third of the seats.
If we feel a need for secondary consideration of parliamentary legislation through a second house (senate) and wish it to be a provincial representation, elect them province-wide. Continuing in the mode of fairness, all MPs elected by the proportion of the vote they receive need to be part of the government creating and enacting all legislation.
Cabinet secrecy ought to be eliminated. We elected them all to govern.
Terry Smith
Garibaldi Highlands
