Charlottetown Senator Percy Downe is calling for a wider variety of occupations within the upper Red Chamber.
Senator Downe has written a letter to the Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointments, calling attention to a “shortage of certain occupations in the Senate”, specifically the absence of farmers, fishers and veterans.
Downe says current membership records show there are 18 lawyers, 13 professors, a dozen businessmen and businesswomen, journalists, nurses, chartered accountants and teachers…but no farmers, fishers or veterans…and he says those are important voices that are missing from Senate debates.
He says they need to hear from representatives of the primary industries and those who wore the Canadian forces uniform in service to our country.
There are currently 13 vacancies in the Senate, including one from PEI, and Senator Downe is hopeful these gaps in representation can be filled.