Ottawa

British Columbia and the 7/50 club

A third province argues unanimity is not necessary to abolish the Senate

Late last week, British Columbia added its factum to the Senate reference pile at the Supreme Court.

For those of you scoring at home, BC joins the majority who argue Parliament can’t unilaterally legislate term limits or consultative elections, but it joins Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia in arguing that the 7/50 formula is sufficient to abolish the Senate.

The BC government also notes that a provincial referendum is necessary before the legislature can consider an amendment to the constitution.

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