Sask. Party members vote to abolish senate

After voting against Senate abolition last year, Saskatchewan Party members now say they favour ditching Parliament's upper house.

The party said Monday that 86 per cent of the 3,727 party members who participated in a recent mail-in vote support abolishing the Senate.

The party organized the membership referendum after Premier Brad Wall said reforming the Senate to make it "elective, effective and equal" might be too difficult a process. Abolition might be easier, he said. 

The NDP, both provincially and nationally, has long advocated Senate abolition.

In a Saskatchewan Party news release, Wall said he believes his party's vote reflects the overall view of Saskatchewan people.

Wall is holding a news conference in Saskatoon Monday afternoon to discuss the referendum result.

The call to abolish comes at a time four senators — Mike Duffy, Mac Harb, Pamela Wallin and Patrick Brazeau — have come under official scrutiny over their traveling and living expenses.

Duffy has paid back $90,000, Harb has paid back $51,000, Wallin has paid back at least $38,000 and Brazeau has been ordered to pay back $48,000.