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Senate of Canada

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Politics and government

   The Senate of Canada (French: Le Sénat du Canada) is a component of the
   Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign (represented by the
   Governor General) and the House of Commons. The Senate and the House of
   Commons sit in separate chambers on Parliament Hill, which is located
   in Ottawa, Ontario.

   The Senate consists of 105 members appointed by the Governor General on
   the advice of the prime minister. Seats are assigned on a regional
   basis, with each region receiving 24 seats. The regions are: Ontario,
   Quebec, the Maritime provinces, and the Western provinces. The number
   of seats for Newfoundland and Labrador, the Northwest Territories,
   Yukon, and Nunavut are assigned apart from these regional divisions.
   Senators serve until they reach the age of seventy-five.

   The Senate is referred to as the " upper house" of Parliament, and the
   House of Commons is referred to as the " lower house". This does not,
   however, imply the Senate is more powerful than the House of Commons.
   Indeed, as a matter of practice and custom, the Commons is by far the
   dominant chamber. Although the approval of both Houses is necessary for
   legislation, the Senate rarely rejects bills passed by the
   democratically-elected Commons. Moreover, the Government of Canada is
   responsible solely to the House of Commons; the Prime Minister stays in
   office only as long as he or she retains the support of the lower
   house. The Senate does not exercise any such control. Although
   legislation can normally be introduced in either house, the majority of
   government bills originate in the House of Commons. Under the
   constitution, money bills must always originate in the lower house.

   The chamber in which the Senate sits is sometimes called the red
   chamber, due to the lavish decoration and design, and the red cloth
   that adorns the chamber (and notably, the Throne); it is a stark
   contrast to the green and more modest style of the House of Commons.
   This is inherited from the British Houses of Parliament, where the
   Lords chamber is a lavish room with red benches, whereas the Commons
   chamber is a sparsely-decorated room with green benches.

History

   The Senate came into existence in 1867, when the Parliament of the
   United Kingdom passed the British North America Act, uniting the
   Province of Canada (which was separated into Quebec and Ontario) with
   Nova Scotia and New Brunswick into a single federation, called the
   Dominion of Canada. The Canadian Parliament was based on the
   Westminster model (that is, the model of the Parliament of the United
   Kingdom). The Senate was intended to mirror the British House of Lords,
   in that it was meant to represent the social and economic élite.
   Canada's first Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, described it as a
   body of "sober second thought" that would curb the "democratic
   excesses" of the elected House of Commons and provide regional
   representation.

Senators

   The Governor General holds the nominal power to appoint senators,
   although he or she makes appointments only on the advice of the Prime
   Minister. Prime ministers normally choose members of their own parties
   to be senators, though they sometimes nominate independents or members
   of opposing parties. In practice, a large number of the members of the
   Senate are ex-Cabinet ministers, ex-provincial premiers, and other
   eminent people.

   Under the constitution, each province or territory is entitled to a
   specific number of senate seats. A senator must reside in the province
   or territory for which he or she is appointed. The Constitution divides
   Canada into four "divisions," each with an equal number of senators:
   twenty-four for Ontario; twenty-four for Quebec; twenty-four for the
   Maritime provinces (ten for Nova Scotia, ten for New Brunswick, and
   four for Prince Edward Island); and twenty-four for the Western
   provinces (six each for Manitoba, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and
   Alberta). Newfoundland and Labrador, which became a province only in
   1949, is not assigned to any division, and is represented by six
   senators. Furthermore, the three territories (the Northwest
   Territories, the Yukon, and Nunavut) are allocated one senator each.
   Quebec senators are the only ones to be assigned to specific districts
   within their province. Historically, this was adopted to ensure that
   both French and English-speaking senators from Quebec were represented
   appropriately in the Senate.

   As a result of this arrangement, Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta
   — Canada's fastest growing provinces in terms of population — are
   severely under-represented, while the Maritimes are greatly
   over-represented. For example, British Columbia, with a population of
   about four million, is entitled to six senators, while Nova Scotia,
   with a population of fewer than one million, is entitled to ten. Only
   Quebec has a share of Senators proportional to its share of the total
   population. It should be noted that many other upper-houses worldwide
   do not use population as a basis for membership.

     Province or Territory   Number of Senators Population per Senator (2001
                                                          census)
   Newfoundland and Labrador         6                                85,488
     Prince Edward Island            4                                33,824
          Nova Scotia                10                               90,801
         New Brunswick               10                               72,950
            Quebec                   24                              301,562
            Ontario                  24                              475,419
           Manitoba                  6                               186,597
         Saskatchewan                6                               163,156
            Alberta                  6                               495,801
       British Columbia              6                               651,290
            Nunavut                  1                                26,745
     Northwest Territories           1                                37,360
        Yukon Territory              1                                28,674

   Since 1989, the voters of Alberta have elected "senators-in-waiting,"
   or nominees for the province's Senate seats. These elections, however,
   are not held pursuant to any federal constitutional or legal provision;
   thus, the prime minister is not bound to recommend the nominees for
   appointment. Only one senator-in-waiting, Stan Waters, has actually
   been appointed to the Senate. He was appointed in 1990 on the
   recommendation of Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, but died in 1991.

   There exists a constitutional provision, Section 26 of the Constitution
   Act, 1867, under which the Queen may appoint four or eight extra
   senators; the additional senators must equally represent Canada's four
   "divisions." As in the case of normal senatorial appointments, the
   prime minister recommends for appointment the senators he has chosen,
   and the Queen is bound by constitutional convention to almost always
   follow this advice. This provision has been successfully used only
   once, in 1990, when Prime Minister Brian Mulroney sought to ensure the
   passage of a bill creating the Goods and Services Tax (GST). In this
   case the Queen followed her prime minister's advice, thereby placing
   responsibility on he, who had to directly answer to the House, rather
   than on the Crown. The appointment of eight additional senators allowed
   a slight Tory majority. The only other attempt to use Section 26, by
   Prime Minister Alexander Mackenzie in 1874, was denied by Queen
   Victoria on the advice of the British Government.

   Senators originally held their seats for life. However, under the
   British North America Act, 1965 (now known as the Constitution Act,
   1965), members may not sit in the Senate after reaching the age of
   seventy-five. (Those incumbents appointed prior to the change could
   continue to sit past age 75.)

   A senator's seat automatically becomes vacant if he or she fails to
   attend the Senate for two consecutive parliamentary sessions.
   Furthermore, a senator who is found guilty of treason, indictable
   offence, or any "infamous crime," is declared bankrupt or insolvent,
   also loses his or her seat, as does a senator who ceases to be
   qualified (see below).

   The annual salary of each senator, as of 2006, is $122,700; members may
   receive additional salaries in right of other offices they hold (for
   instance, the Speakership). Senators rank immediately above Members of
   Parliament in the order of precedence.

Qualifications

   The Constitution Act, 1867 outlines the qualifications of senators.
   Individuals who are not citizens of Canada, and individuals aged less
   than thirty years, may not be appointed to the Senate. Senators must
   also reside in the provinces or territories for which they are
   appointed.

   The Constitution Act, 1867 also sets property qualifications for
   senators. A senator must possess land worth at least $4,000 in the
   province for which he or she is appointed. Moreover, a senator must own
   real and personal property worth at least $4,000, above his or her
   debts and liabilities. These property qualifications were originally
   introduced to ensure that the Senate represented Canada's economic and
   social élite. Now, however, the sum in question is far less valuable
   due to the effects of inflation. Nevertheless, the property
   qualification has never been abolished or amended, and initially caused
   problems with the 1997 Senate appointment of Sister Peggy Butts, a
   Catholic nun who had taken a vow of poverty. (The situation was
   resolved when her order formally transferred a small parcel of land to
   her name.)

   The original Constitution of Canada did not explicitly bar women from
   sitting as senators. However, until the end of the 1920s, only men had
   been appointed to the body. In 1927, five Canadian women (" The Famous
   Five") requested the Supreme Court of Canada to determine if females
   were eligible to become senators. Specifically, they asked if women
   were considered "persons" under the British North America Act. 1867,
   which provided, "The Governor General shall ... summon qualified
   Persons to the Senate; and ... every Person so summoned shall become
   and be a Member of the Senate and a Senator." In Edwards v. Canada
   (Attorney General) (commonly known as the " Persons Case"), the Supreme
   Court unanimously held that women could not become senators. The Court
   based its decision on the grounds that the framers of the Constitution
   did not foresee female senators, as women did not participate in
   politics at the time; moreover, they pointed to the constitution's use
   of the pronoun "he" when referring to senators. On appeal, however, the
   Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (effectively Canada's highest
   court at the time) ruled that women were indeed "persons" in the
   meaning of the Constitution. Four months later, the government of Prime
   Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King recommended for appointment
   Canada's first female senator, Cairine Wilson of Ontario.

Officers

   The presiding officer of the Senate, known as the Speaker, is appointed
   by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister. The
   Speaker is assisted by a Speaker pro tempore (or Speaker for the
   time-being), who is elected by the Senate at the beginning of each
   parliamentary session. If the Speaker is unable to attend, the Speaker
   pro tempore presides instead. Furthermore, the Parliament of Canada
   Act, passed in 1985, authorizes the Speaker to appoint another Senator
   to take his or her place temporarily.

   The Speaker presides over sittings of the Senate and controls debates
   by calling on members to speak. If a senator believes that a rule (or
   Standing Order) has been breached, he or she may raise a "point of
   order," on which the Speaker makes a ruling. However, the Speaker's
   decisions are subject to appeal to the whole Senate. When presiding,
   the Speaker remains impartial, though he or she still maintains
   membership of a political party. Unlike the Speaker of the House of
   Commons, the Speaker of the Senate does not hold a casting vote, but
   instead retains their right to vote in the same manner as any other
   senator (see Procedure below). The current Speaker of the Senate is The
   Honourable Noël A. Kinsella.

   The member of the Government responsible for steering legislation
   through the Senate is Leader of the Government in the Senate. The
   Leader is a senator selected by the Prime Minister, and serves in
   Cabinet. The Leader manages the schedule of the Senate, and attempts to
   secure the Opposition's support for the Government's legislative
   agenda. The Opposition equivalent is the Leader of the Opposition in
   the Senate, who is selected by his or her counterpart in the House, the
   Leader of the Opposition. However, if the Official Opposition in the
   House is a different party than the Official Opposition in the Senate
   (as was the case, for example, from 1993 to 2003), then the Senate
   party chooses its own leader.

   Officers of the Senate who are not members include the Clerk, the
   Deputy Clerk, the Law Clerk, and several other clerks. These officers
   advise the Speaker and members on the rules and procedure of the
   Senate. Another officer is the Usher of the Black Rod, whose duties
   include the maintenance of order and security within the Senate
   chamber. The Usher of the Black Rod bears a ceremonial black ebony
   staff, from which the title "Black Rod" arises. This position is
   roughly analogous to that of Sergeant-at-Arms in the House of Commons,
   but the Usher's duties are more ceremonial in nature. The
   responsibility for security and the infrastructure lie with the
   Director General of Parliamentary Precinct Services.

Procedure

   The throne and chair in the background are used by The Queen and her
   consort, or the Governor General and his or her spouse, respectively,
   during the opening of Parliament. The Speaker of the Senate employs the
   chair in front.
   The throne and chair in the background are used by The Queen and her
   consort, or the Governor General and his or her spouse, respectively,
   during the opening of Parliament. The Speaker of the Senate employs the
   chair in front.

   Like the House of Commons, the Senate meets on Parliament Hill in
   Ottawa. The Senate Chamber is lavishly decorated and coloured red, in
   contrast with the more modest green Commons Chamber. There are benches
   on two sides of the Chamber, divided by a centre aisle. The Speaker's
   chair is at one end of the Chamber; in front of it is the Clerk's
   table. Various clerks and other officials sit at the table, ready to
   advise the Speaker on procedure when necessary. Members of the
   Government sit on the benches on the Speaker's right, while members of
   the Opposition occupy the benches on the Speaker's left.

   The Senate Chamber is the site of the opening of Parliament, a formal
   ceremony held at the beginning of each new parliamentary session.
   During the ceremony, the Governor General, seated on the throne in the
   Senate Chamber and in the presence of both Houses of Parliament,
   delivers a speech outlining the Government's agenda for the upcoming
   parliamentary session. If the Sovereign is present in Canada, he or she
   may make the Speech from the Throne instead.

   Under the Rules of the Senate, the Senate sits Mondays to Fridays.
   Sittings of the Senate are open to the public, and are transcribed
   verbatim in the Debates of the Senate. Unlike the House of Commons, the
   Senate does not regularly broadcast its hearings, although at times
   matters of particular interest have been broadcast.

   The Constitution Act, 1867 establishes a quorum of fifteen members
   (including the member presiding) for the Senate. Any senator may
   request the Speaker to ascertain the presence of a quorum; if it does
   not appear that one is present, the Speaker orders bells to be rung, so
   that other senators on the parliamentary precincts may come to the
   Chamber. If a quorum still does not appear, the Speaker must adjourn
   the Senate until the next sitting day.

   During debates, the first senator to rise is entitled to make the next
   speech. The Speaker may settle disputes over which senator rose first,
   but his or her decision may be altered by the Senate. Motions must be
   moved by one senator and seconded by another before debate may begin;
   some motions, however, are non-debatable.

   Speeches may be made in either of Canada's official languages (English
   and French). Members must address their speeches to the other senators
   as a whole, using the phrase "honourable senators," without directly
   addressing an individual Senator. Instead, individual members must be
   referred to in the third person, not as "you." This is similar, but not
   identical, to the process in the House of Commons where all speeches
   and comments are addressed to the Speaker. The Speaker enforces the
   rules of the Senate during debate. Disregarding the Speaker's
   instructions is considered a severe breach of the rules of the Senate.

   No senator may speak more than once on the same question; however, a
   Senator who has moved a substantive motion, proposed an inquiry, or
   sponsors a bill holds a right of reply that enables them to speak again
   at the close of debate. In the case of a bill, this right of reply can
   only be exercised at the second reading debate. The Standing Orders of
   the Senate prescribe time limits for speeches. The limits depend on the
   nature of the motion, but are most generally about fifteen minutes.
   However, the Leaders of the Government and Opposition in the Senate are
   not subject to such time constraints. Debate may be further restricted
   by the passage of "time allocation" motions. Alternatively, the Senate
   may end debate more quickly by passing a motion "for the previous
   question." If such a motion carries, debate ends immediately, and the
   Senate proceeds to vote. Debate may also end if no senator wishes to
   make any further remarks.

   When the debate concludes, the motion in question is put to a vote. The
   Senate first votes by voice vote; the presiding officer puts the
   question, and members respond either "yea" (in favour of the motion) or
   "nay" (against the motion). The presiding officer then announces the
   result of the voice vote, but two or more senators may challenge his or
   her assessment, thereby forcing a recorded vote (known as a division).
   First, members in favour of the motion rise, so that the clerks may
   record their names and votes. The same procedure is then repeated for
   members who oppose the motion, and thereafter repeated again for those
   who wish to abstain. In all cases, the Speaker holds a vote (which is
   not usually exercised) and votes first when a recorded division is
   called; a tied vote results in the motion's failure. If the number of
   members voting, including the presiding officer, does not total
   fifteen, then a quorum is not present, and the vote is invalid.

Committees

   The Parliament of Canada uses committees for a variety of purposes.
   Committees consider bills in detail, and may make amendments. Other
   committees scrutinize various Government agencies and ministries.

   The largest of the Senate committees is the Committee of the Whole,
   which, as the name suggests, consists of all senators. A Committee of
   the Whole meets in the Chamber of the Senate, but proceeds under
   slightly modified rules of debate. (For example, there is no limit on
   the number of speeches a member may make on a particular motion.) The
   presiding officer is known as the Chairman. The Senate may resolve
   itself into a Committee of the Whole for a number of purposes,
   including to consider legislation, or to hear testimony from
   individuals. Nominees to be Officers of Parliament often appear before
   Committee of the Whole to answer questions with respect to their
   qualifications prior to their appointment.

   The Senate also has several standing committees, each of which has
   responsibility for a particular area of government (for example,
   finance or transport). These committees consider legislation and
   conduct special studies on issues referred to them by the Senate, and
   may hold hearings, collect evidence, and report their findings to the
   Senate. Standing committees consist of between nine and fifteen members
   each, and elect their own chairmen.

   Special committees are appointed by the Senate on an ad hoc basis to
   consider a particular issue. The number of members for a special
   committee varies, but the partisan composition would roughly reflect
   the strength of the parties in the whole Senate. These committees have
   been struck to study bills (e.g., the Special Senate Committee on Bill
   C-36 (the Anti-terrorism Act), 2001), or particular issues of concern
   (e.g., the Special Senate Committee on Illegal Drugs).

   Other committees include joint committees, which include both members
   of the House of Commons and senators. There are presently two joint
   committees, the Standing Joint Committee on the Scrutiny of
   Regulations, which considers delegated legislation, and the Standing
   Joint Committee on the Library of Parliament which advises the two
   Speakers on the management of the Library. Parliament may also
   establish Special Joint committees on an ad hoc basis to consider
   issues of particular interest and/or importance.

Legislative functions

   Although legislation may be introduced in either House, most bills
   originate in the House of Commons. Because the Senate's schedule for
   debate is more flexible than that of the House of Commons, the
   government will sometimes introduce particularly complex legislation in
   the Senate, first. For the stages through which the legislation passes
   in Parliament, see Act of Parliament.

   In conformity with the British model, the upper house is not permitted
   to originate bills imposing taxes or appropriating public funds. Unlike
   in Britain but similar to the United States, this restriction on the
   power of the Senate is not merely a matter of convention, but is
   explicitly stated in the Constitution Act, 1867. In addition, the House
   of Commons may, in effect, override the Senate's refusal to approve an
   amendment to the Canadian Constitution; however they must wait at least
   180 days before exercising this override. Other than these two
   exceptions, the power of the two Houses of Parliament is theoretically
   equal; the approval of each is necessary for a bill's passage. In
   practice, however, the House of Commons is the dominant chamber of
   Parliament, with the Senate very rarely exercising its powers in a
   manner that opposes the will of the democratically elected chamber.

   The Senate tends to be less partisan and confrontational than the
   House, and is more likely to come to a consensus on issues. It also
   often has more opportunity to study proposed bills in detail either as
   a whole or in comities. This careful review process is why the Senate
   is still today called the chamber of "sober second thought", though the
   term has a slightly different meaning than it did when used by John A.
   Macdonald. The format of the Senate allows it to make many small
   improvements to legislation before its final reading. Although the
   Senate rarely vetoes bills from the House, their minor changes are
   usually accepted by it.

   The Senate at times is more active at reviewing, amending, and even
   rejecting legislation. During the late 1980s and early 1990s was one of
   those periods. During this period the Senate opposed legislation on
   issues such as the 1988 free trade bill with the U.S. and the Goods and
   Services Tax (GST). In the 1990s, the Senate rejected four pieces of
   legislation: a bill passed by the Commons restricting abortion (C-43),
   a proposal to streamline federal agencies (C-93), a bill to redevelop
   the Lester B. Pearson airport (C-28) and a bill on profiting from
   authorship as it relates to crime (C-220).

Relationship with the Government

   Unlike the House of Commons, the Senate has no effect in the decision
   to end the term of the prime minister or of the government. Only the
   Commons may force the prime minister to tender his resignation, or to
   recommend the dissolution of Parliament and issue of election writs, by
   passing a motion of no-confidence or by withdrawing supply. Thus, the
   Senate's oversight of the government is limited.

   Most Cabinet ministers are from the House of Commons, rather than the
   Senate. In particular, every prime minister has been a member of the
   House of Commons since 1896. Typically, the Cabinet includes only one
   Senator: the Leader of the Government in the Senate. Occasionally, when
   the governing party does not include any members from a particular
   region, Senators are appointed to ministerial positions in order to
   maintain regional balance in the Cabinet.

Senate Reform

   Plans for reform chiefly involved amending the appointment process;
   schemes to create an elected Senate did not gain widespread support
   until the 1980s, when Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau enacted the
   National Energy Program in the wake of the energy crises of the 1970s.
   Despite widespread opposition in Western Canada, Trudeau easily secured
   the Senate's support, as most senators had been recommended for
   appointment by previous Prime Ministers from Trudeau's Liberal Party.
   Many Western Canadians then called for a " Triple-E Senate," standing
   for "elected, equal, and effective." They believed that allowing equal
   representation of the provinces would protect the interests of the
   smaller provinces, and would end the domination of Ontario and Quebec.

   The Meech Lake Accord, a series of constitutional amendments proposed
   by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, would have required the federal
   government to choose a senator from a list of persons nominated by the
   provincial government; the accord, however, failed to obtain the
   requisite unanimous consent of the provincial legislatures. A successor
   proposal, the Charlottetown Accord, involved a provision under which
   the Senate would include an equal number of senators from each
   province, elected either by the provincial legislatures or by the
   people. This accord was soundly defeated in the referendum held in
   1992. Further proposals for Senate reform have not met with success,
   either, especially due to opposition in Ontario and Quebec, the two
   provinces with the most to lose due to equal representation.

   Today, the New Democratic Party and the Bloc Québécois both call for
   the Senate's abolition. Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty has voiced his
   preference for its abolition as well. Although the Liberal party has no
   formal policy for Senate reform, former Liberal Prime Minister Paul
   Martin had stated that he "supports" Senate reform if the provinces are
   more involved in the process and if it does not "create greater
   inequality." Some have stated that the issue of Senate reform would
   have been the litmus test for Martin's policy on Western Canada. The
   Conservative Party has committed itself to appointing elected senators,
   although Prime Minister Stephen Harper recommended an unelected person
   for appointment to the Senate after forming his first Cabinet.
   Currently, abolition of the Senate is not being widely considered.

Recent developments

   In response to observations that an overwhelming Liberal majority in
   the Senate had compromised its ability to function as intended, Prime
   Minister Paul Martin took Pierre Trudeau's approach to the Senate, in
   that he was willing to recommend appointment of opposition senators.
   Martin, who promised to deal with the so-called "democratic deficit",
   made over one-third (five of 14) of his appointments from members of
   opposition parties; two Progressive Conservatives, two Conservatives,
   and one New Democrat. (The New Democratic Party does not recogize this
   senator as a representative of their party, as they favour abolishing
   the senate). Eight of Trudeau's 81 recommendations for appointment were
   from the opposition. Prime Minister John A. Macdonald recommended for
   appointment 10 of his 91 appointments from the opposition. Other than
   these 23 senators, only nie other senators in the history of the
   country have been appointed to sit in the opposition caucuses of the
   Senate. This does not include non-partisans.

Harper's plan

   Prime Minister Stephen Harper has promised to hold elections to fill
   any vacancies in the Senate during his term. Unlike most proposed
   Senate reforms, Harper could fulfill this promise without a
   constitutional amendment simply by advising the Governor General to
   appoint the persons elected to their Senate seats. The day of his
   swearing in as Prime Minister, it was revealed that Québécois Michael
   Fortier would be a member of the Cabinet, with the expectation that he
   would be appointed as a Senator and would resign from the Senate at the
   dissolution of Parliament to run in the next federal election. Mr.
   Fortier was formally summoned to the Senate on February 27, 2006.

   Harper has also promised further reforms, including electing senators,
   and limits on how long each senator may sit. To that effect, on May 30,
   2006, the government introduced Bill S-4 in the Senate, which would
   amend the Constitution Act, 1867, to limit the term of a newly
   appointed Senator to eight years. It also provides that current
   Senators may serve out their term to age 75. However, no indication has
   been given as to when or how elections for senators will be
   implemented. While appearing before a senate committee, Harper
   announced that in the fall of 2006, the government would introduce a
   bill to allow Canadians to elect senators.

Murray-Austin amendment

   On June 22, 2006 Senator Lowell Murray ( PC- Ontario) and Senator Jack
   Austin ( Liberal- British Columbia) introduced an amendment to the
   Constitution of Canada to alter the makeup of the Senate. This
   amendment would enlarge the Senate to one hundred and seventeen
   members, giving a greater number to the western provinces of British
   Columbia (12), Alberta (10), Saskatchewan (seven), and Manitoba (seven)
   each up from six. The amendment would also increase the number of
   divisions to five by separating British Columbia into its own division,
   and increase the number of additional Senators the Queen can appoint to
   five or ten, from four or eight. The amendment has yet to be debated,
   but Austin, in a letter to BC Premier Gordon Campbell claims to have
   the support of a majority of the members of the Liberal-dominated
   Senate.

Current composition

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                Affiliation              Senators
        Conservative Party^1             23
        Liberal Party^2                  64
        Progressive Conservative Party^3 3
        New Democratic Party^4           1
        Independent
                                         4
        Vacant
                                         10
    Total
                                         95/ 105

   As of November 1, 2006.

   Note:

          ^1 The Conservatives control government business in the Senate
          due to holding the most seats in the House of Commons.

          ^2Senator Raymond Lavigne has temporarily been removed from the
          Liberal Caucus but still identifies himself as a Liberal Senator

          ^3 When the Progressive Conservative Party merged with the
          Canadian Alliance to form the Conservative Party of Canada in
          2004, all but three Progressive Conservative Senators became
          Conservative Senators. Two additional Senators who have chosen
          to sit as "Progressive Conservatives" were appointed on the
          recommendation of Liberal Prime Minister Paul Martin, over one
          year after the merger occurred. One of the five remaining
          Progressive Conservative senators died in December of 2005, and
          another joined the Conservative caucus in March 2006 bringing
          the total to three.

          ^4 Self-designation by Senator Lillian Dyck. The New Democratic
          Party opposes appointments to the Senate and does not recognize
          Senator Dyck as a representative of the NDP or as a member of
          its parliamentary caucus.

   Source: The Parliament of Canada Web Site - Party Standings in the
   Senate

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