Senate.

• Author: Mussell, Mary
• Position: Legislative Reports

The Senate completed an impressive amount of legislative work since returning from the summer adjournment on September 16, 2003. This was accomplished despite the usual procedural wrangling that often arises when rumours of an imminent end to the session begin to circulate and pressure mounts for the Senate to pass legislation important to the Government. During the fall, thirty-six bills were considered by the Senate. Debate in the Chamber was intense at times, sittings were lengthy and peppered with numerous points of order, each one requiring the attention of Speaker Dan Hays who ruled on eleven points of order and a question of privilege, an unusual number of decisions from the Chair.

Legislation

The speculation that Parliament might prorogue led to increased attention on two major bills. With a change in government leadership and a possible spring election in the offing, the passage of Bill C-34, establishing separate ethics officers for the Senate and the House of Commons assumed greater significance in the fulfillment of the Prime Minister's commitment to initiate ethical reform. The other important piece of legislation was Bill C-49. This bill advanced the implementation date for the electoral boundaries readjustment to reflect the 2001 Census and provide additional seats to B.C., Alberta and Ontario. It was important to have this bill passed so that an election based on these new electoral boundaries could be called as of April 1.

The Senate began its consideration of Bill C-34 on October 2. Second reading debate was debated on five days before a time allocation motion was moved and subsequently adopted, with a recorded vote, by the Senate on October 23. Second reading and the adoption of the motion referring the bill to the Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament Committee took place on October 27.

On November 7, the Senate voted to amend Bill C-34 so that the Senate ethics officer would be appointed by senators themselves and not by the Prime Minister following consultation. With third reading, the bill was returned to the House of Commons. Although the Senate faced stiff criticism for not passing the bill, it was also praised for standing up to government pressure to pass the bill just days after receiving it from the House of Commons.

Bill C-49, a bill to accelerate the implementation of new electoral boundaries came to the Senate on October 23. Although several days were spent on debate at second reading, the bill did not pass before the Senate adjourned on November 7.

The Senate and the...