The Changing Role Of Senator In Canada

The role of senators in Canada is a widely debated topic in Canadian politics. Because it is one of the original chambers founded in Confederation, it has an extensive historical founding. That being said, the role of a senator has not changed much since then. In addition, the effectiveness of senatorial policies has wavered over time, but the systems within the Senate remain unchanged. What has changed, however, is the world surrounding the Senate. As Canada continues to grow and develop as a nation, the Senate has remained a constant in an ever-changing country. his paper will view the role of the senate and the general influence over policy changes through history from confederation to modern times. This paper will assess the changes in

the Senate through policy and legislation production, the composition of the Senate, and the degree to which the Senate represents Canada and Canadians as a whole.
The Canadian Parliament consists of two chambers. There is the Lower House, or The House of Commons, and there is the Upper House, or the Senate. The Senate of Canada is the only remaining upper house chamber in Canadian politics today. At the time of Confederation, it was to act as a chamber of “sober second thought” to the House of Commons. The Senate was to act as a check to the House of Commons and balance out power. Sir John A. MacDonald claims the Senate is necessary because it must “prevent any hasty or ill-considered legislation which may come from [the House of Commons.]” Some requirements one must possess in order to be a senator in Canada are, one must be at least thirty years old, be a natural citizen of Canada, and be a resident in the province in which they are representing. Senators are appointed by the Governor General, under the advisement of the prime minister. During the initial years after Confederation, the Senate had a high impact on the public concerning the policies made in Parliament; however, by the mid twentieth century, most of the legislation passed in the Senate had little impact with the general public. The most noteworthy policy passed during this time regarded the age at which a senator must resign. Until nineteen sixty-five, senators could hold the position for however long they please. After nineteen sixty-five, however, senators can only hold the position until the age of seventy-five. This is to keep a new perspective in the Senate when reviewing legislature and to remain contemporary. Although many senators belong to a political party, this does not apply to all senators. The role of a senator and the Senate as a whole are widely debated in Canadian politics today and are frequently the topic of much discussion of the modernity of the Canadian government today. A senator’s main priority is to take a critical look at legislation that is being passed through the House of Commons.
Any legislation that passes through the House of Commons also needs to be reviewed by the Senate.

Legislation passed through the Senate is critiqued for its potential effectiveness and the effect of the legislation on Canada as a whole. A senator has a different perspective when approaching legislation as compared to an individual in the House of Commons. A premier is mainly concerned with the constituents who elected them, and therefore will frequently vote in favour of their party or the views of the region they are representing. A senator, on the other hand, is able to view the legislation from a more critical view, and consider the legislation without being occupied by the views of a particular party or constituents. A senator may also be placed in a committee. Senatorial committees are formed in order to discuss one or more specific issues in legislation, such as Administration and Conflict Interest, Internal Economy and Budgets, and Privileges, Standing Rules, and Orders. These committees can consist of at least twelve members. This is how most legislative review is

done.
One of the qualifications in order to be a senator is to own at least four thousand dollar’s worth in property and have a net worth of at least four thousand dollars.

This is a considerable amount of money at the time of Confederation in 1867, amounting to roughly $63,000 today. It may appear strange as to whether or not the intention of the Fathers of Confederation is to appoint wealthier senators, but according to John A. Macdonald, this was the intention of the Fathers of Confederation. Wealthy individuals were a minority in the Dominion of Canada at the time and the perpetuating belief “rich are always fewer in number than the poor,” resulted in the appointing of senators from wealthy socio-economic backgrounds. This aspect of the Senate has not changed, and is frequently criticized. The Senate is often critiqued for the lack of diversity of various socio-economic backgrounds. Diversity in this context is defined by various ethnic, geographic, and gender differences in the Senate. The socio-economic backgrounds of the Senate have not changed since Confederation, but the ethnic backgrounds of senators have changed to represent Canada as a whole. For example, at the time of Confederation, the Senate comprised entirely of wealthy white men. As society progresses, the Senate gradually becomes more representative of Canada as a whole. From the nineteen eighties until recent times, large changes have been made in the composition of the Senate. The number of female senators has

gone up from eleven senators to thirty-four as of 2015. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is also making changes in the Senate during his time as prime minister so far. Trudeau is making more efforts to make the Senate less partisan than in the past by creating an advisory board to choose independent members to appoint and avoid gender bias to potentially appoint more women to the Senate. This is one of the most significant changes to the Senate in recent years.