Keith Mack
The Senate of Canada, composed of 105 members, is the Upper House of Canada's Parliament and has powers similar to the House of Commons. The Senate can reject or veto bills passed by the House of Commons, but this power has been rarely used in history, with the last veto occurring in 1939. The Senate can delay constitutional amendments for 180 days and can propose amendments to bills for clarification, simplification, and tidying up of the proposed legislation. The Senate's purpose is to consider and revise legislation, investigate national issues, and give the regions of Canada an equal voice in Parliament. While the Senate has faced criticism and debates about its reform or abolition, it plays a crucial role in the legislative process of Canada.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of senators | 105 |
| Number of Conservative senators (as of 2016) | 42 |
| Number of Liberal senators (as of 2016) | 25 |
| Number of independent senators (as of 2016) | 21 |
| Number of vacant seats (as of 2016) | 17 |
| Age limit for senators | 75 |
| Minimum age to become a senator | 30 |
| Property requirement to become a senator | $4,000 in real property |
| Last year the Senate vetoed a bill from the House of Commons | 1939 |
| Number of times the Senate has vetoed a bill from the House of Commons since 1939 | 0 |
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What You'll Learn
The Senate's purpose
The Senate of Canada is the Upper House of Canada's Parliament, with almost the same powers as the House of Commons. It is modelled after the British House of Lords, with its members appointed by the governor-general on the advice of the prime minister. The Senate's purpose is to consider and revise legislation, investigate national issues, and most importantly, according to the Constitution, give the regions of Canada an equal voice in Parliament.
The Senate's fundamental role is to be a complementary legislative body to the elected House of Commons, providing a "sober second thought", as described by Canada's first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald. The Senate acts as a reviewing chamber for proposed bills before they are passed, and its committees play an investigative role in studying important social and political issues facing the country, such as poverty, aging, unemployment, land use, and national defence.
The Senate has 105 members who are appointed and hold their seats until the age of 75. Appointments were originally for life, but since 1965, they have been subject to a mandatory retirement age. To qualify for appointment, individuals must be Canadian citizens, at least 30 years old, meet certain property and residency requirements, and be appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister.
The Senate can reject or veto bills passed by the House of Commons, but this power has rarely been invoked throughout Canadian history. The Senate can only delay constitutional amendments for 180 days, and it has not vetoed a bill from the Commons since 1939. Notable examples of the Senate failing to approve a bill include its rejection of the Naval Aid Bill and its refusal to allow a vote on legislation enabling the 1988 Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement.
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Senate's power to veto
The Senate of Canada is the Upper House of Canada's Parliament, with 105 members who are appointed and hold their seats until the age of 75. The Senate's purpose is to consider and revise legislation, investigate national issues, and, most importantly according to the Constitution, give the regions of Canada an equal voice in Parliament. The Senate has almost the same powers as the House of Commons, and no bill can become law without its consent.
The Senate's power to veto is a crucial aspect of its function. It can veto any kind of bill, and its approval is necessary for legislation to become law. This power was expected to be a delaying veto rather than an absolute veto. The Senate has not vetoed a bill from the House of Commons since 1939, and it rarely makes amendments of principle. However, in 1987, the Senate temporarily blocked Bill C22 (pharmaceutical patents) and, in 1990, effectively blocked plans to pass legislation for the unpopular Goods and Services Tax (GST).
While the Senate has the power to veto, it is careful in exercising this power and rarely opposes the will of the democratically elected chamber. This is because, in practice, the House of Commons is the dominant chamber, and the Senate acts as the chamber of ""sober second thought". Additionally, the House of Commons can override the Senate's refusal to approve an amendment to the Canadian Constitution after waiting for at least 180 days.
The Senate cannot initiate money bills (taxes or expenditures) and cannot increase the amounts in such bills. This restriction is explicitly stated in Section 53 of the Constitution Act, denying the Senate the power to introduce bills "for appropriating any part of the public revenue, or for imposing any tax or impost." This interpretation has varied over the years, with some arguing that the Senate should not amend or delay such legislation, while others believe the Senate has the power to do so except for introducing or amending financial legislation.
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Senate's composition
The Senate of Canada is the upper house of the Parliament of Canada. It is modelled after the British House of Lords, with its members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister. The Senate has almost the same powers as the House of Commons. While the Senate can reject bills passed by the House of Commons, this power has rarely been invoked throughout Canadian history. The approval of both houses is necessary for legislation to become law, and thus the Senate can play a crucial role in the legislative process.
The Senate has 105 members, who are appointed and hold their seats until the age of 75. The appointment is made primarily by four divisions, each having twenty-four senators: the Maritime division, the Quebec division, the Ontario division, and the Western division. Newfoundland and Labrador is not part of any division and has six senators. Each of the three territories has one senator. Senate appointments were originally for life, but since 1965, they have been subject to a mandatory retirement age of 75.
The members of the Senate are appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister. To qualify for appointment, they must be Canadian citizens, at least 30 years old, have real property worth $4,000 free of mortgage and a net worth of at least $4,000 (these amounts have remained unchanged since they were enacted during Confederation in 1867), and reside in the province or territory for which they are appointed. In Quebec, which is divided into 24 senatorial divisions, senators must reside or have their real property in the division for which they are appointed.
The role of a senator typically involves participating in sessions in the Senate Chamber, working on committees, holding business meetings, managing an office, and travelling regularly to the specific region of Canada that the senator represents. The Senate acts as a reviewing chamber for proposed bills before they are passed and plays an important role in representing regional interests, including those of minority groups such as Indigenous peoples, minority language and ethnic groups, and women.
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Senate reform
The Senate of Canada is the upper house of the Parliament of Canada. It is composed of 105 senators, who are appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister. Senators must be Canadian citizens, at least 30 years old, have a net worth of at least $4,000, and reside in the province or territory they represent. Senate appointments were originally for life, but since 1965, there has been a mandatory retirement age of 75.
The Senate's purpose is to consider and revise legislation, investigate national issues, and, most importantly, give the regions of Canada an equal voice in Parliament. The approval of both the Senate and the House of Commons is necessary for a bill to become a law, and thus, the Senate can reject or veto bills passed by the House of Commons. However, in practice, this power has rarely been invoked, and the House of Commons is considered the dominant chamber. The Senate has not vetoed a bill from the House of Commons since 1939.
There have been several proposals for Senate reform over the years, including calls for an elected Senate with equal representation of provinces, known as the Triple-E Senate movement. Prime Minister Stephen Harper made two notable attempts at Senate reform after 2006. The first attempt was delayed in the then-Liberal-dominated upper house and never became law. His second attempt, the Senate Reform Act, introduced in 2011, proposed nine-year term limits for senators and allowed provinces to elect their senators. However, this bill also faced challenges and scrutiny, and by the end of 2013, it had not been debated in Parliament for many months.
In 2014, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that major constitutional reforms, such as introducing elections for senators or abolishing the Senate, would require the consent of the provinces. This ruling set a high bar for any future Senate reform proposals. The new Liberal government, under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, introduced a merit-based appointment process for senators, moving away from the traditional partisan appointments process. While some argue that recent changes have made the Senate more effective, others continue to call for its abolition or a return to the previous appointment processes.
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Senate's reputation
The Senate of Canada is the Upper House of Canada's Parliament, with 105 members who are appointed and hold their seats until the age of 75. The Senate's purpose is to consider and revise legislation, investigate national issues, and give the regions of Canada an equal voice in Parliament.
The Senate has a legally absolute veto power, but it was expected to be used only as a delaying veto. The Senate can only delay constitutional amendments for 180 days, and it has not vetoed a bill from the Commons since 1939. The Senate now very rarely makes amendments of principle, and when it does, they are usually accepted by the Commons and are related to drafting to clarify, simplify, and tidy up proposed legislation.
The Senate has long been regarded by many Canadians as a place of unfair patronage and privilege. Senators are appointed by the governor-general on the advice of the prime minister, and there is a perception that appointments are made as a reward for service or loyalty to the party in power. There have been several proposals for constitutional Senate reform since the 1970s, all of which have failed.
The Senate's reputation has been further damaged by scandals involving its members. For example, in 2013, the Canadian Senate suspended three of its members for "gross negligence" in a scandal over expense claims. The Senate's reputation is also affected by its lack of power compared to its American counterpart, as Canadian senators are appointed by the prime minister rather than elected.
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Frequently asked questions
The Senate of Canada has not vetoed a bill from the House of Commons since 1939.
The Senate is the Upper House of Canada's Parliament. Its purpose is to consider and revise legislation, investigate national issues, and give the regions of Canada an equal voice in Parliament.
The Senate of Canada has 105 members who are appointed by the governor-general on the advice of the prime minister. Senators hold their seats until the age of 75.
No, the Senate cannot initiate money bills (taxes or expenditures). This restriction is explicitly stated in the Constitution Act, 1867.
The Senate and the House of Commons compose the bicameral legislature of Canada, along with the Crown. While they have almost the same powers, in practice, the House of Commons is the dominant chamber.
