Against Reform

John Pepall offers a critique of proposed reforms to Canada's political institutions. Examining electoral reform, an elected or provincially appointed Senate and reduced terms for Senators, fixed election dates, recall, initiative, and parliamentary reform, including 'free votes' and parliamentary confirmation of appointments, Pepall contends that these reforms are ill-conceived and would be harmful. While considering influential factors such as academic and media bias, political fashion, and the American example, Pepall's assessment takes aim at the practical and theoretical understandings of reform across party lines.