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The 180

OPINION: Time to gather the premiers to talk Senate reform

Parliament Hill journalist Mia Rabson delivers her open letter to the Prime Minister, asking him to sit down with Canada's premiers to settle the Senate reform question once and for all.
CBC News ·
Alberta Premier Jim Prentice (right) speaks as B.C. Premier Christy Clark (left) and Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall (centre) look on at a premiers' meeting last year. ( Michael Bell/The Canadian Press)
The 1803:05OPINION: Time to gather the premiers to talk Senate reform

As the Duffy trial unfolds, and stories of questionable expenses from other senators persist, Mia Rabson says it's time for the Prime Minister to step back into the world of senate reform. In an open letter, she tells him he should meet with the premiers. 

How do you know there can be no consensus among the provinces on Senate reform when you haven't even tried to reach one yet? Heck, the last time you met with the premiers as a group, Barack Obama hadn't even been sworn in yet as the U.S. president and the world had not yet heard of an iPad.- Mia Rabson

Rabson, the parliamentary bureau chief for the Winnipeg Free Press, points out Harper came into office promising to fix the Senate. He gave up on that plan when the Supreme Court ruled last year that any change would require approval from the provinces. Instead of giving up, Rabson calls on the Prime Minister to meet with his provincial counterparts and find consensus. After all, their last meeting predates American President Barack Obama's election, and the release of the iPad.

She says the Duffy trial serves as a reminder of how broken the Senate is-- so even if consensus amongst the premiers may be hard, the Prime Minister must get out and look for it. 

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