16 October 2007
Ottawa, OntarioPrime Minister Stephen Harper today congratulated long-time Senate reform advocate Bert Brown after he was sworn in as Canada's second elected Senator. Senator Brown follows in the steps of the Honourable Stan Waters who was elected by the people of Alberta in 1989, and appointed by the former Conservative government of the Rt. Hon. Brian Mulroney.
"Bert has been a passionate advocate for democratization of the Senate for more than 20 years," Prime Minister Harper said. "I can think of no one more deserving of a seat in our Upper House. As the only sitting Senator endorsed by voters, he will be a powerful voice for reform from the inside."
Senator Brown, a Calgary zoning and property development consultant, has been waiting for this day for nearly a decade. First elected in Alberta's Senate Nominee election in 1998, he was re-elected by more than 300,000 voters in the province's next Senate election of 2004. "By appointing me, Prime Minister Harper has demonstrated his genuine commitment to democratic reform of the Senate," said Senator Brown.
The Prime Minister noted that two Senate reform bills introduced last session, one to allow Canadians to vote for Senators and another to limit their terms to eight years, were stalled in the House or blocked by the Liberal majority in the Senate. Prime Minister Harper emphasized however, that the Government is committed to Senate reform and will not abandon these important reforms in the upcoming session.
"The mandate to govern, when it is given to you directly by the people, is a great honour and a great responsibility. It's the very essence of responsible government, and it is the minimum condition of 21st century democracy," said Prime Minister Harper. "The swearing-in of Senator Brown today reflects our government's conviction that Canadians must have a direct say in who will represent them in the Red Chamber. If the Liberal majority in the Senate persist in obstructing reform, they will fade ever further into irrelevance and, eventually, oblivion."
