This article was last updated on April 16, 2022
Canada: 
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Prime Minister Stephen Harper has finally given his remarks on the landmark decision of The Supreme Court of Canada, which unanimously rejected the Conservative government’s attempt to transform the Senate into an elected body and set term limits of nine years. The court clarified that the federal government needs consent of at least seven provinces and half of Canadians to make changes to the Senate and the consent of all provinces, the House of Commons and the Senate to abolish it.
The Conservative government had consulted the court to verify if it can abolish the Senate with consent of seven provinces and half of the country’s population. In response to the top court court’s decision, Mr. Harper alleged that he is disappointed in the court’s ruling. He mentioned that “given the Supreme Court has said we’re essentially stuck with the status quo for the time being, and that significant reform and abolition are off the table, I think it’s a decision that I’m disappointed with [and] that a vast majority of Canadians will be very disappointed with.”
Mr. Harper explained that there is no consensus among the provinces on either reform or abolition of the Senate, nor is there a desire “among anyone” to reopen the Constitution and have “a bunch of constitutional negotiations.” However, he added that “the Senate is one of Canada’s foundational political institutions” and “it lies at the heart of the agreements that gave birth to the Canadian federation” and can only be changed in accordance with Canada’s procedures for amending the constitution.
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