No reforms: Mulcair says Senate abolition is the only option
When it comes to talks of abolishing the Senate, NDP leader Tom Mulcair says it's all or nothing. In an interview with Rosemary Barton on CBC Radio's The House, he further cemented his quest for Senate abolition, saying he's not open to reforms.
"If you read the recent Supreme Court decision, [Senate reforms aren't] possible without constitutional change. So if I'm going to be going for the unanimity of the provinces, it's not to change the colour of the carpets, it's to get rid of the thing."
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Of course, Mulcair needs the support of all 10 provinces to do this. Only two premiers, Saskatchewan's Brad Wall and Manitoba's Greg Selinger, have come out in favour of abolition. Both Ontario and Quebec have said they are against scrapping the Red Chamber - with Ontario calling for reform.
That's not stopping Mulcair though. He thinks he can sway the views of Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne and Quebec premier Philippe Couillard.
"I think I can and I think it's worth trying," he said.
Free reign for a MP audit
With the conclusion of Auditor General Michael Ferguson's Senate expense audit, the New Democrats are pushing for the same thing in the House of Commons.
"We want to go beyond a simple audit. We want to open up for example the secretive board of internal economy," said Mulcair.
"We want to make sure that journalists and the public get to know how every penny of taxpayers money is spent. I think that that has to be the starting point."
Mulcair told Barton that he would give Ferguson free reign to audit MPs.
"I am would let [Auditor General Ferguson], because he's a very capable guy, decide exactly what that mandate would have to look like," he said.
There's concerns an MP audit could lead to more scrutiny for New Democrats, in the wake of the $2.7 million bill they owe for satellite office expenses.
That doesn't worry Mulcair. He says he wants everything exposed.
"That'd be wonderful. And you know what, having the knowledge that the auditor is going to be there every step of the way will have [an] effect on people's comportment."