Canada bills itself as a democratic country. This defines our government as a system in which the "supreme power is vested in the people and excercised directly by them". (dictionary.com) The Canadian senate possesses the weighty job of helping to pass bills- the rules by which we, as Canadians, must abide in order to lawfully live in this country. Yet we the people do not elect our senate; senators are appointed by the Governor General, with advice from the Prime Minister. So what is my complaint? Basically, the PM gets to build his own senate, choosing people he knows share his political viewpoints. The Senate becomes stacked with people who are extremely unlikely to disagree with the PM's bills, especially considering the large pensions they will eventually receive from maintaining their position as Senators. Unlikely to disagree due to both political allegiance and monetary lure, the Senators' weighing in cannot be held as accurate representation of the opinions and desires of the Canadian people. It is time for a change. It is time that we become able to choose our Senate. It is time to sign this petition and become one step closer to a truly democratic "democracy".
