Elections matter

Tories to introduce legislation limiting new appointed senators to 8 years.  Outstanding, and long overdue.

Asked when there would be a full elected Senate, CTV's Ottawa bureau chief Robert Fife said: "Somewhere before hell freezes over."

Changing the Senate to an elected model would require a constitutional amendment, with at least seven provinces representing at least 50 per cent of the population signing on, he said, adding, "no one wants to open that basket of crabs."  Ontario and Saskatchewan would like the Senate abolished, he said.

Asked why Prime Minister Stephen Harper might be making these changes, Fife said to get the ball rolling on reforming the institution, but "he's also sending a very subtle message to the Liberal-dominated Senate -- if they obstruct his government's agenda, he'll go to the people to get a mandate to force constitutional change."