Volume 24.2 (2015)

SPECIAL ISSUE - Time for Boldness on Senate Reform

This Special Issue of the Forum is a compilation of seven papers presented at the "Time for Boldness on Senate Reform" conference  organized by the Centre for Constitutional Studies on March 13th and 14th, 2015. The conference brought together senators, politicians and academics to discuss strategies for reform of Canada's Upper House. An Introduction to the Issue reviews Senate reform history then outlines and analyzes the reform ideas presented at the conference.

All 14 presentations given at the conference can be viewed here. The Agenda for the conference can be viewed on our website.

Introduction: A Time for Boldness? Exploring the Space for Senate Reform
Michael Burton and Steve Patten

Complexity and the Amending Formula
Kate Glover

Placing Future Senate Reform in Context
Bruce Hicks

Status Quo Unacceptable; Senate Reform Possible; Abolition by Stealth Anti-Democratic
Linda Trimble

Addressing the Senate's "Triple-Deficit": The Senate as Driver of its own Reform
Adam Dodek

Tapping the Potential of Senate-Driven Reform: Proposals to Limit the Powers of the Senate
Andrew Heard

Notes from an Insider: Some Bold Ideas on Senate Reform
Senator Jim Cowan

Time for Boldness on Senate Reform, Time for the Trudeau Plan
Hon. Stephane Dion