Since the creation of the Supreme Court in 1875, at least one of our country’s top justices has been from Atlantic Canada. But the federal government has announced that it will now open the field country-wide, without regional consideration. A greater pool, it says, will allow for more diverse candidates.

This is not good news for Atlantic Canada. Part of the bargain of Confederation was proper representation for our region in federal institutions. By violating constitutional convention, the feds are removing our guaranteed seat at a very important table.

Our federal and provincial representatives should protest against this decision. Like any region of the country, Atlantic Canada deserves representation on the Supreme Court