Senator Donald Oliver

The Senate is the Upper House of the Canadian Parliament and is also known as the body of sober, second thought.

It ordinarily consists of 105 Senators, who are appointed by the Governor General, on advice of the Prime Minister.

History of the Senate

The Senate was created with the establishment of the British North America Act, 1867, during Confederation. At this time the country was divided into three regions: the Maritimes, Quebec and Ontario. To provide regional representation the Senate distributed 24 Senate seats to both Ontario and Quebec, and 20 seats to the Maritimes, which only consisted of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. However, when Prince Edward Island joined in 1873, it was given four seats in the Senate to raise the Maritime representation to an equal 24 seats.

As the first two Western provinces to join Confederation, Manitoba (1870) and British Columbia (1871), received six seats in the Senate. To continue with this pattern, when Saskatchewan and Alberta joined the Federation in 1905, they were also given six seats. This brought the total of Western seats in the Senate to 24.

Finally when Newfoundland joined in 1949 it was awarded six seats and each of the territories in Canada has been designated only one seat due to their smaller populations.

Currently the Senate has 105 seats. However, 12 of these seats are currently empty. In Nova Scotia, only seven of its 10 seats are filled.

Role of the Senate

The role of the Senate includes, examining and revising legislation, investigating national issues, as well as representing minority, provincial and regional interests.

Legislative Role

The Senate plays a large role in the legislative process. Before a proposed bill can become law, it must be passed by both the House of Commons and the Senate. As most bills are proposed by members of the House of Commons, the Senate will usually receive a bill after it has passed three readings in the House.

Once a bill is sent to the Senate, the Senate then has the power to add amendments or veto the bill. Alternatively the Senate may also choose to delay the bill or decide not to act on it until they are assured it is what the public wants.

Senate also has the ability to propose a bill, with the exception of money bills. Even if the bill does not pass, it can bring visibility to an issue. The government can also introduce bills in the Senate that are more technical in nature and require careful review.

Finally private bills introduced are introduced by a Canadian citizen are introduced at the Senate. These bills either concern a single person, organization or business. For example, prior to the Divorce Act of 1968, a private bill was submitted by an individual to get a legislative divorce. Recently, in 2006 Scouts Canada introduced a private bill in the Senate to make changes to their organization.

Investigative Role

The Senate is divided into many committees of about 12 to 15 members to study certain topics of national interest. These topics range from legal and constitutional affairs to science and technology. 

Each committee has three main tasks: to approve or amend legislation, investigate policy matter and make recommendations, and examine the Government’s spending proposals.

Within these committees Senators study specific bills and investigate issue referred to the Senate. Committees will hold hearings, arrange for expert testimony, speak to individual citizens, have meetings with government officials, and call for records and papers to be produced. 

Past Senate committees have worked and reported on important issues such poverty in Canada, free trade, and the mass media.

To learn more about Senate committees, please visit the Committees section of my website.

Representation Role

The Senate represents and protects regional, provincial, and minority interests.

To represent Canada’s diverse regions there are four senatorial divisions, determined at the time of Confederation, which comprise of 24 Senators each. These divisions are: the Maritimes, Ontario, Quebec, and the West.  Additionally Newfoundland has six Senate seats, and one seat is reserved for each of the territories.

Senators will often meet with provincial and regional caucuses to discuss legislation and policies. They are also in contact with individuals and organization from their regions as a means to bring their concerns to the federal government.

The Senate also ensures that minority interests are not overlooked by Parliament. Groups that have benefited in the past from this include youth, the elderly, veterans and aboriginals.

Links

To learn more about the Senate of Canada, visit the follow the following links:

The Senate Today

The Senate Video

The Senate and Legislation

Roles in the Senate

Senate Committees