To National Post Re: GG & Senate Appts
Senate & Governor General appointments always seem to stir up a knee-jerk reaction from well-meaning Canadians who seem to have ignored the constitutional history & written documentation that created Canada as a partially-limited-by-constitution Monarchy with a bottom-rung-of-the-power-hierarchy "democratic element".
The Fathers of Confederation drafted a proposal to Great Britain that contained 3 levels of double-check on any measure concocted in the Lower House - any one of these 3 superior orders of Legislative Authority can quash a Commons initiative.
The Senate, representing the view of the propertied class, is empowered to amend or not pass it, the Governor General (with or without Advice from his/her Privy Council) can veto it (withhold Assent), or suspend/stall it (reservation) and finally the Queen, individually can Disallow any Bill within 2 years following it's passage (the "Queen-in-Council" i.e. the British cabinet removed itself from the process with its 1982 UK Canada Act).
Yes, all these authorities are as true today as they were in 1867 - remember the GST Senators - all plainly written down for us to follow. Each provision was purposefully included, the beauty of the "whole" is lost if the checks & balances powers of any component of this "seamless web" is undermined.
Pity we're not playing by the rules as written, I believe we'd have a much better attitude towards our government if we did.
After all, whose Dominion is it?
The Fathers of Confederation drafted a proposal to Great Britain that contained 3 levels of double-check on any measure concocted in the Lower House - any one of these 3 superior orders of Legislative Authority can quash a Commons initiative.
The Senate, representing the view of the propertied class, is empowered to amend or not pass it, the Governor General (with or without Advice from his/her Privy Council) can veto it (withhold Assent), or suspend/stall it (reservation) and finally the Queen, individually can Disallow any Bill within 2 years following it's passage (the "Queen-in-Council" i.e. the British cabinet removed itself from the process with its 1982 UK Canada Act).
Yes, all these authorities are as true today as they were in 1867 - remember the GST Senators - all plainly written down for us to follow. Each provision was purposefully included, the beauty of the "whole" is lost if the checks & balances powers of any component of this "seamless web" is undermined.
Pity we're not playing by the rules as written, I believe we'd have a much better attitude towards our government if we did.
After all, whose Dominion is it?
posted by Walk a Kb or Two in my cassins | 9:56 am
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