Layton calling for referendum on abolishing Senate

Updated Mon. Nov. 5 2007 7:43 AM ET

The Canadian Press

WINNIPEG -- New Democrat Leader Jack Layton is calling for a nation-wide referendum on whether the Senate should be abolished.

Layton says the unelected upper chamber is obsolete and undemocratic.

He says his party has prepared a motion calling for a referendum on the future of the Senate, and he wants the government to allow a free vote on the issue in the Commons.

The idea of a referendum was floated two weeks ago by Conservative Senator Hugh Segal, who favours maintaining the upper house.

Layton says the referendum would not be costly because it could be held in conjunction with the next federal election.

One obstacle to Layton's plan, however, is the fact the referendum results could be very hard to translate into action.

Constitutional law prevents the federal govenrment from abolishing the Senate without the support of the provinces, some of whom support the upper chamber.