WHY WOULD BERNARD OPEN HIS BIG MOUTH????

Picture 066, originally uploaded by Oldmaison.

He'll never be re-elected as Premier. He could have been appointed in the Senate. He won't be able to be elected as a Senator!!!

Lord advocates electing New Brunswick senators
Last updated Jun 5 2006 03:15 PM ADT
CBC News
Premier Bernard Lord has volunteered New Brunswick as a place where Prime Minister Stephen Harper could change the way senators are chosen.

Harper has promised to reform the upper house of Parliament, including limiting Senate terms to eight years.

* FROM MAY 30, 2006: Tories move to set election dates, limit Senate terms

Lord says he'd rather see senators elected than see the Senate abolished, and has some ideas on how this could be done in New Brunswick.

"We could have senators at large for all of New Brunswick, or divide New Brunswick into five regions, if you will, and have two senators per region. There are different models available, and I think we need to consider that. It would give our senators more clout," Lord said.

Lord says Senate elections could be held in conjunction with New Brunswick municipal elections every four years.

The federal government hasn't given a timetable for bringing in any changes to the Senate. As it stands, senators can serve until they are 75, regardless of what age they were when appointed.

Under Harper's proposal, sitting senators will still get to serve until they are 75. Only the new ones will be limited by a term.

Harper says Parliament can approve the constitutional change on its own and that it doesn't require provincial approval, but not everyone agrees it can be done as easily as that.

There are seven vacant Senate seats: Two from Ontario and one each from Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Quebec.