Prime Minister Stephen Harper would like to see Canadians in a position to start electing their senators by the time of the next federal election.

Harper announced plans Tuesday to impose eight-year term limits on new senators, part of new democratic reforms.

In an exclusive interview with CTV News and The Globe and Mail, the prime minister was asked why he wouldn't go all the way to electing senators.

"That is a more controversial measure and one that I am prepared to look at in this term of government. What we thought we would start with would be a measure that we thought everyone could agree with," Harper said.

In terms of electing a senator in the next federal election, he said: "I hope so. We're still looking at exactly how we're going to do that."

However, the first step is the imposition of term limits.

"Nobody believes senators should be sitting for decades or anyone in a modern 21st Century legislature should be sitting for decades," Harper said.

Currently, senators can sit until age 75, although until 1965, their appointments were for life.

While the change would require amending the Constitution, the government says the amendment can be passed by Parliament and does not require provincial approval as most constitutional amendments do.

The change follows Harper's campaign pledge to make the Senate a more effective and independent body.

Harper has said he would never appoint a senator, althought he did appoint Michael Fortier to the Senate. "At the moment, I've got seven vacancies, which I have not filled."

Alberta and B.C. have legislation to hold elections for senators. The previous Liberal government did not appoint the senators-elect.

Liberal Leader Bill Graham said if the senators were elected to represent their provinces, some of the premiers have "expressed concerns as to what that would do in terms of the voices the premiers have."

He said the Liberals would like to see a more comprehensive approach.

"I don't think you can do that without approaching it from a very holistic and comprehensive point of view, rather than just tinkering at the edges, which would create more problems."

Fixed election dates

Canadians would go to the polls every four years under the legislation.

The Conservatives are proposing fixed election dates for the third Monday in October in the fourth calendar year after the last voting day.

As for the fixed election dates, the proposed legislation introduced today would put the next polling date on Oct. 19, 2009 -- but that's only if the minority Conservative government manages to survive that long.

If the government falls in a non-confidence vote before then, a general election would be held. The next election would be held on the third Monday in October four years from that date.

Under the current system, the prime minister can send Canadians to the polls at any time within a five-year period.

Graham attacked the move during question period on Tuesday, saying the Tory reform package was but an "illusion.

"There's a huge gap between what the government says and what it does. If this act were enacted the prime minister could go to the Governor General at any time and still ask for a snap election," Graham said in the House of Commons.

"So why doesn't the legislation specifically preclude the prime minister from seeking an early election, or is this legislation designed to mislead the people rather than protect our democracy?" he asked.

Harper told the House of Commons that his government will not be seeking an early election.

"Of course at any time Parliament can defeat the government and provoke an early election, if that's what the opposition irresponsibly chooses to do."

Earlier Tuesday, Graham said he agreed that October was a good month for an election, but said Canadians should only be sent to the polls "because there's an issue of national crisis."

"October is probably as good a month as any. We don't want summer elections, nobody wants to go through another winter election," he told reporters in Ottawa.

The proposed election date legislation follows up on a campaign pledge by the Tories in January to model legislation on B.C. and Ontario laws that require fixed election dates every four years.

Newfoundland and Labrador also have fixed election dates.

The pledge was made following criticism that former Liberal prime ministers Jean Chretien and Paul Martin called early elections when they thought they had the best chance of winning.

Martin launched the 2004 election campaign shortly after the merger of the Canadian Alliance and Progressive Conservatives, before the new party could even hold a policy convention.

And Chretien twice called elections just three-and-a-half years into his five-year mandates.

With a report from CTV's Ottawa bureau chief Robert Fife