Tag Archives: term limits

Title: Term limits

Introduction
With the recent deaths of Senators Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts and Robert Byrd of West Virginia it brings up the question of term limitations. Senator Kennedy was elected to the Senate in 1962 and served for 48 years. Senator Byrd being elected to the Senate in 1958 and serving for 52 years. In my opinion the only person that should be able to celebrate a Jubilee in office is a distinguished little old lady who’s been known to wear a tiara from time to time. I have nothing against long serving members of the Legislature but where re-elections extends that term to 50 years that is simply too long. Both Senator Kennedy and Senator Byrd got elected to the U.S. Senate before I was born and I’m no spring chicken!

Be it resolved
Here in Canada I would suggest that our Members of Parliament would get to serve in six Parliaments this would give them a maximum term of 30 years but in reality much less.

Be it further resolved
That members of the Federalist party be barred from running for the party’s nomination for the House of Commons if they have served as an MP in 6 Parliaments or have been the Federalist’s candidate 8 times.

Summary
For the current Parliament it means for those who were elected in 1997 would be serving in their sixth Parliament (97 / 00 / 04 / 06 / 08 / 11). If the next election is in 2015 that means these MPs would have served in 6 Parliaments for a term of 18 years.