Senate reform | Former farmer and ‘elected’ senator Bert Brown continues to advocate for triple E Senate
Senate reform advocate Bert Brown has retired from the Senate, still proclaiming the need for an elected and reformed upper parliamentary chamber.
“It’s been fun and I still am passionate about it,” he said after his March 22 retirement at the mandatory Senate retirement age of 75.
“I still believe it will happen.”
Brown, a former Alberta farmer who once drew national attention by using his farm fields to advertise a triple E Senate (equal, elected, effective), also took a shot at the New Democratic Party campaign to abolish the Senate.
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“I think they are exceedingly stupid,” he said.
“Without the Senate and in a majority government, there really would be a dictatorship.”
Prime minister Stephen Harper appointed Brown in 2007 after he placed first in two Alberta-wide non-binding Senate votes.
He was the second “elected senator” in Canadian history, following Stan Waters.
When Brown retired, Harper appointed Alberta businessperson Scott Tanners, who placed second in Alberta’s Senate vote held during last year’s provincial election. He is the founder, president and chief executive officer of Western Financial Group.Â
Alberta premier Alison Redford praised Harper for following the wishes of Albertans.
“When Albertans chose Scott Tannas as their Senate nominee during last year’s provincial election, they chose a person with great moral character, a finely tuned business acumen and strong values,” she said in a statement from Edmonton.
“We are extremely pleased that the prime minister followed the wishes of Albertans and recognized these characteristics in appointing a very fine Albertan and Canadian to the Upper House.”
The appointment maintains the strong Conservative majority in the Senate, ensured by scores of Harper appointments during the past six years despite his promise before being elected prime minister not to indulge in Senate patronage.
Brown defended Harper’s appointments, noting that all Conservative senators he has appointed have agreed to support Senate reform and fixed terms, as well as to run in an election if the Senate ever becomes an elected body.
“When I got there, the Liberals had a huge majority and we couldn’t win a vote,” he said.
“The prime minister had to do it to move Senate reform along.”
