New senator Bob Runciman will push for Senate reform
Posted Feb 11, 2010 By Roy Lewis
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Tweet ThisEMC News - Recently-appointed to the Senate of Canada, Leeds-Grenville MPP Bob Runciman will push for amendments to reform the upper house of parliament including the election of senators rather than having them appointed.
Advocating reform of the Senate is not new for the veteran politician who has argued in the Ontario provincial legislature for senators to be elected rather than appointed from the regions they represent. Runciman is one of five new senate appointments announced by Prime Minister Stephen Harper's office on Jan. 29. But his appointment means he has now resigned his seat in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and a by-election will be held in the riding of Leeds-Grenville on Thursday, March 4.
Saying that the Senate should be "fair minded and objective," Runciman argued that the once-Liberal dominated Senate has either rejected legislation of the sitting Conservative party government or "watered it down so much that it is ineffective." In particular, he wants to move ahead on law and order legislation arguing that Liberal senators have blocked laws for mandatory prison terms for certain crimes and car insurance theft legislation.
All five new senate appointments support the Conservatives but Runciman pointed out that "we need senators who share the government's view." The Conservatives now have 51 members in the 105-seat Senate, just two less of a majority. The Liberals have 49 while three seats are occupied by independent senators. The two remaining seats are held by Progressive Conservatives, senators who refused to adopt the Conservative name following the merger of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada with the Canadian Alliance in 2003 to form the Conservative Party of Canada.
The governor general has the power to make appointments to the Senate but in modern times has only done so on the advice of the prime minister. The concept of having senators appointed rather than elected was intended to avoid creating an upper house of parliament that was more popular and too powerful over the House of Commons whose members are elected. Because of appointments by previous governments, the majority of members in the Senate had been Liberal prior to the latest five appointments.
"These Liberal Senators have been blocking important pieces of legislation," argued Runciman.
"Legislation coming from the House of Commons must be looked at with an objective perspective, not a partisan perspective, and the prime minister did what had to be done," he said.
As a senator, Runciman will be joining a part of parliament that has existed since the country was formed in 1867. The Senate, based on the British House of Lords, was described by Canada's first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, as a "sober second thought to curb democratic excesses of the House of Commons." In that role, senators give careful examination to any proposed laws made by the House of Commons and will, if they feel it is appropriate, make changes or recommendations concerning the legislation. The Senate also has the power to reject legislation although that rarely happens.
Under the constitution, specific regions in Canada have an assigned number of senators based on population. Ontario, Quebec, the Maritimes and Western Provinces each have 24 while Newfoundland and Labrador have six and the Northwest Territories, the Yukon and Nunavut have one each. Most members of the Senate are long-serving politicians who bring a wealth of legislative background to the job but they may also be prominent citizens. Previously, senators had been appointed for life but now they must resign at age 75 or if they break specified rules of conduct for members of the upper house.
Runciman will be sworn in as a senator in Ottawa on March 3. But in doing so, he must resign his seat as a Member of the Provincial Parliament (MPP) for Leeds-Grenville, a position he has held for 29 years. A by-election will be held to elect a new representative for Leeds-Grenville in the provincial legislature. Runciman did not know when a by-election would be held saying it is a decision that will be made by Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty. But he anticipated such an election might take place as early as this June.
In the meantime, Runciman will keep his constituency office open, located on Strowger Boulevard in Brockville, to handle routine matters for citizens of Leeds and Grenville.
He first learned in mid-December that he might be appointed as a senator. The announcement was scheduled to be made in mid-January but was delayed until the last of the month.
"It has been an emotional two weeks for me because I anticipated I would have to say goodbye to many good friends at Queen's Park and my staff, some of whom have been with me for 15 years," he said.
Runciman employed one parliamentary assistant at Queen's Park, the informal name of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in Toronto. He also has an executive assistant, as well as two constituency assistants at his office in Brockville.
"It is a happy day and a sad day," he said when the official announcement was made on Jan. 29.
Runciman has not made any definite plans about the administration he will have after he takes his seat in the Senate. He said he may establish an office here in Brockville with one assistant. He will continue to live in Brockville, travelling back and forth to Ottawa as his Senate duties dictate.
ANOTHER CAREER MILESTONE
Being appointed to the Canadian Senate is another milestone in Runciman's long political career, which spans 37 years, most of which has been spent as a member of the Ontario legislature.
Born and raised in Brockville, Runciman, 67, was employed in production management in the chemical industry. He has significant experience in the labour relations field both as a union president and a contract negotiator. Runciman also worked as a reporter for two Eastern Ontario daily newspapers and his business experience has included ownership of a weekly newspaper and a commercial printing business.
He first entered politics when he was elected a municipal councillor in Brockville. As a councillor, he chaired the city's urban renewal committee for eight years and was actively involved in the renewal of infrastructure in the downtown core, including the acquisition of the former Central Canada Coal Company property on the Brockville waterfront which has since become the site of the Brockville Museum and a waterfront parkland.
Always affiliated with the Progressive Conservative Party, Runciman was first elected to the legislature as the member for Leeds-Grenville on March 19, 1981. He has been re-elected in every subsequent provincial election since then.
"As a member of provincial parliament, senior cabinet minister and interim leader, Bob has been a consistent and determined champion for victims of crime, front-line police officers, the law enforcement community and hard-working Ontario families," said Tim Hudak, Ontario PC leader.
"Losing one of the most effective and tenacious MPPs in a generation, the Ontario Legislature will be a much quieter place without Bob," added Hudak.
Noting Runciman's achievement in law enforcement, Hudak said his appointment to the Senate will "bode very well for advancing the federal government's initiative to fight crime and strengthen the young offenders' system."
"There's nobody more deserving of this honour and I have no doubt that Bob Runciman will quickly bring the same fire and passion to the Senate as he has brought to Queen's Park," said Randy Hillier, MPP for Lanark-Frontenac-Lennox and Addington, which borders on Leeds-Grenville.
Hillier also noted that Runciman had been a "steadfast ally and a political inspiration to me throughout my time at Queen's Park."
"I just hate to see him go," he said.
Among the longest-serving members of the provincial parliament, Runciman has held many portfolios while his party was in power and has been a critic of various government ministries while in the ranks of the opposition. He is currently Opposition House Leader, a critic for border issues and tourism, as well as a commissioner on the board of internal economy.
He has served twice as solicitor general and minister of correctional services, as leader of the Official Opposition, minister of public safety and security, minister of economic development and trade, minister of consumer and commercial relations, minister of government services, chair of the cabinet, chair of cabinet's environment committee and co-chair of justice and intergovernmental affairs. He also served a term as leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party.
While being involved in many pieces of government legislation, Runciman, a long-time advocate of public safety and policing, was particularly pleased with the passage of a bill he introduced in the legislature for the establishment of a tuition fund for the education of children of Ontario police officers killed in the line of duty.
Asked what he feels is his most significant project in his riding, Runciman reflected "there are so many" over his nearly three decades as MPP but he is particularly pleased with his efforts to acquire provincial funding for the $15-million project to restore the historic Brockville Courthouse, "which saved a heritage building from destruction and provided a showcase building in downtown Brockville."
Runciman is married to the former Jeannette Bax. They have two daughters, Sue and Robin. Their son, Bill, is deceased. They are also the proud grandparents of Iylish, Cassandra and Nick.
Roy Lewis is a freelancer writer on assignment with the EMC.
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