At the moment, 12 seats are vacant in the Canadian Senate, including three from Quebec, where I reside (and I really do reside here, as the neighbours whose garbage I put out when they’re away will attest). Let me say unequivocally: If I’m appointed to the Senate, I definitely will serve.
Here is my program. I promise never to expense a $16 glass of orange juice in a London hotel, as a certain cabinet minister once did. In fact, I promise never to go to London or stay in a hotel. (Members of Parliament may — may — have to travel for their work. But senators?)
I already subscribe to The Economist magazine, which tells me everything I need to know about London, foreign affairs or, for that matter, hotels.
As for orange juice, I drink it daily, but on the Senate salary of $138,700 a year, I’ll be able to afford my own orange juice.
I’ll make that sacrifice even though I won’t be getting any of the salary supplements available to party bosses in the Senate, because I don’t believe senators should be partisan.
Those supplements include $78,300 for the leader of the government or $37,300 for the leader of the opposition or deputy leader of the government, or even the $3,100 the deputy opposition whip gets. You’d think whipping would be unbecoming of senators, wouldn’t you?
Who could senators possibly be beholden to? They’re supposed to be people of stature, successes in their previous lives, independent thinkers.
As a non-partisan, I won’t attend any party’s caucus.
And I’ll vote to eliminate the $6,700 and $5,700 salary supplements to the chairs of the government and opposition caucuses.
I’ve never understood the need for having a restaurant meal or going to a hockey game to get business done; they do give you an office, don’t they? If I do eat out, I promise to hold all my meetings at Tim’s (or if in Hull: Tims) and ask everyone attending to pay for his or her own meal.
I have family in Ottawa and will stay with them while Senate is in session. I doubt they’ll charge me rent, so I won’t charge the people of Canada.
I’ll take the bus downtown and back. I’ll have to think about expensing my bus fare. Most Canadians have to get to work on their own dime — actually, much more than a dime. Why shouldn’t I?
By the way, does the Speaker of the Senate really need a $1,000 car allowance in addition to his $57,200 salary supplement?
When Senate isn’t in session, which is most of the time, I’ll stay in Montreal. I’ll drive up for sessions in my 1997 Honda Civic. I might expense the gas, though the current federal rate of 52 cents a kilometre, which works out to $208 a round trip, seems excessively generous. Gas back and forth is roughly $40 and my Civic is pretty much fully depreciated already.
I can’t find a simple statement on the Senate website, but it looks as if office allowances run around $150,000 a year.
I’ll take the office and the service of a cleaning person, thank you, but beyond that all I need is a digital calendar, which I already have, and voice mail. Maybe five or six of my fellow senators and I could get together to hire a receptionist, which shouldn’t cost that much.
In exchange for all that, I promise to provide second thought on all government proposals and to be sober when doing so. I won’t represent anyone’s views but my own and won’t accept any kind of employment or directorship elsewhere.
My policy will be to oppose legislative or regulatory privilege for any interest group. Because I don’t believe unelected officials should have a veto on policy, I pledge not to vote down government proposals — no matter which party is running the Commons. And I will vote for any Senate reform passed by Canadians’ elected representatives.
That’s about it for my thoughts on what makes a suitable senator. Over to you, Prime Minister.
William Watson teaches economics at McGill University in Montreal.
