Publication: Telegraph-Journal (NB)
Section: News
Page: A3
Byline: Richard Roik
**Excerpt**
Premier Bernard Lord says he supports the federal Conservatives' latest call for an elected Senate.
Mr. Lord confirmed through a spokesperson Wednesday that he would like to see New Brunswick's lone vacancy in the upper chamber filled through an election - rather than the existing appointment process controlled by the Prime Minister's Office.
The premier's endorsement came as Conservative Leader Stephen Harper used an election campaign stop in Vancouver Wednesday to unveil his three-point plan for democratic reform.
Highlighting the strategy is Mr. Harper's call for a federal process for electing senators to the 105-seat upper chamber, which he called a relic of the 19th century.
Just one day earlier, Prime Minister Paul Martin repeated that he also supports an elected Senate, but that he opposes reforming the upper chamber on a piecemeal basis.
On a campaign stop in Surrey, B.C., on Tuesday, Mr. Martin added that Senate reform has been stalled by a lack of interest from some of the provinces' premiers.
"It would require fundamental constitutional reform, and until such time as the provinces are prepared to deal with that issue, then I'm not prepared to proceed with it," Mr. Martin said.
But Mr. Lord has argued that constitutional changes aren't required to stage Senate elections.
"I believe there's an appetite across this country for change," Mr. Lord told the Globe and Mail after Mr. Harper proposed similar Senate reform in the 2004 campaign.
"This is a discussion that needs to take place," he added. "I'm convinced that all premiers will be interested in sitting down at the table with Mr. Harper (if he is elected prime minister) to improve what we have."
Mr. Harper said that, ideally, he would like to see a Senate that is more equally balanced along regional lines, one that could serve as a check to the power of the House of Commons.
"The position of the party is an equal Senate and it's my personal preference," Mr. Harper said at a downtown Conservative campaign office.
"I understand that will be very difficult to achieve," he added. "What I'd like to see is a fairer distribution of seats on a regular basis. That's an essential part of permanent Senate reform."
Mr. Harper also called Wednesday for fixed election dates and proposed cleaning up internal party politics by requiring all federal candidates to be supported by the local party riding association where they are running.
The latter move is aimed at stopping the practice of some star candidates being parachuted into safe or distant ridings.
