Anyone remember the glory days, when 91原创 Island had two representatives in the Senate? Didn鈥檛 think so. That was a long time ago.
It happened twice 鈥� from 1897 to 1915, and then from 1917 to 1935. After that, it seems that our quota was reduced to one. And lately, it鈥檚 been cut down to nothing.
With all of the talk of Senate reform, of Mike Duffy鈥檚 expense shenanigans and so on, let鈥檚 not forget that 91原创 Island has lost its voice in the upper chamber.
Yes, I know, there are six senators from British Columbia, and they are supposed to represent the entire province, but it is not the same as having someone who lives here.
Our first senator was appointed the same year we became a province, 1871. William John Macdonald, who later built the Armadale estate in James Bay, served from 1871 until his death in 1915.
William Templeman, who owned the Victoria Daily Times, was appointed in 1897, but resigned in 1906 to run for a seat in the House of Commons.
George Riley, who resigned as an MP to make way for Templeman, was immediately named to the Senate and served for 10 years.
In 1917, two men from the Island were named to the Senate. George Henry Barnard, a former mayor of Victoria and our MP for a couple of terms, served until 1945.
The other 1917 appointee did not end well. Albert Planta of Nanaimo served until 1935, when he had to resign because of fraud. He was sentenced to two years in jail.
Nancy Hodges, a former Victoria Daily Times editor as well as the first female Speaker in the Commonwealth, served in the Senate from 1953 to 1965.
Nancy Bell, who declared that she represented Nanaimo-Malaspina, was appointed in 1970 and died in 1989.
Pat Carney from Saturna Island, yet another journalist, was appointed in 1990 and served with distinction until 2008.
That is eight senators, with five of them appointed more than 90 years ago. We know where Prime Minister Stephen Harper should look for the next B.C. senator.
If you鈥檙e not upset about this yet, consider the numbers.
Prince Edward Island has 145,000 people and four senators. New Brunswick has 750,000 people and 10 senators. 91原创 Island has 750,000 people and nobody in the upper chamber.
That鈥檚 a disgrace.
The imbalanced regional representation, which has its roots in the census returns of almost 150 years ago, is a major reason why Senate reform is necessary. (Whether I will live to see it is another matter.)
British Columbia, with four million people, has six senators. Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, another six each. Total for the west: Twenty-four.
Nova Scotia has 10, New Brunswick has 10, and Prince Edward Island has four. Total for the Maritimes: Twenty-four.
Population in the west: Nine million. Population in the Maritimes: Two million.
How do we fix this? How to we ensure that the Senate represents the country as it is, and not as it once was?
We can鈥檛 start with regional disparity, because that is too big a problem. We need to take baby steps first.
Yes, the Senate is needed. It helps provide balance in our legislative system. It works with, and sometimes against, the House of Commons, ensuring that bills get a proper review before they become law. We need a stronger voice there.
Meaningful change needs to come from within. If we start demanding that senators be elected, rather than appointed, we could get all the provinces to get on board. Or maybe I am dreaming.
If the rules could be changed so senators serve a set number of years before retiring or facing the voters again, we would make great progress.
As it stands, senators never have to face the voters, and they can serve until they are 75. (I hope you like the work of Yonah Martin, who was appointed as a B.C. senator in 2009. She has a guaranteed job until 2040.)
Change won鈥檛 happen if we stop pushing for it. Even if the unaccountable aspect doesn鈥檛 worry us on the Island, our lack of representation should get our blood boiling.
In the meantime, Duffy is a sideshow. Let鈥檚 get mad about what really matters.
