Senate.

• Author: Mussell, Mary
• Position: Legislative Reports

The Senate was the centre of attention throughout the spring of 2007 as tension increased between the Upper Chamber and the minority government. Two pieces of legislation in particular, one a private members' public bill and the other a budget bill, were the focus of considerable and often heated debate.

Private Members' Business provides a forum for debate on issues important to the public and is frequently used as a vehicle for legislative and policy changes, often in competition with the government's agenda. It is an important role in a minority government and knowing that another election is always imminent adds a sense of urgency to the situation. Bill C-288, a Private Members' Public Bill to implement the Kyoto Protocol had been contentious since it arrived in the Senate in February. Senators opposed to the bill at second reading disagreed with the extent of the role played by private members' legislation in influencing government policy. They were critical of Bill C-288 because its passage would commit the Government to implement the Kyoto Protocol on climate change, within an impossible timeframe. On May 17, the Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources Committee reported the bill without amendment. Still, Conservative Senators opposed to the bill attempted to prevent a final vote by proposing a series of amendments at third reading.

At the same time, Bill C-52, the Government's Budget Bill, also met with resistance as it made its way through the Senate during the latter part of June. The duty of the Senate to scrutinize legislation as an independent chamber of "sober second thought" and its constitutional right to amend any bill including a budget bill like Bill C-52 were challenged by those who wanted it passed quickly without amendment. While it is unusual for the Senate to amend a budget bill, it is not without precedent. Even so, supporters of Bill C-52 argued it was inappropriate for the Senate to try to change a budget adopted by the elected House of Commons. Resistance to the bill came from Senators representing the Atlantic provinces and Saskatchewan who claimed the budget reneged on the terms of the 2005 Atlantic Accord. With the role of the Senate to represent and protect regional interests, these senators moved several critical amendments to the bill at third reading.

By June 21, however, the Government reached an agreement with the Senate to pass Bill C-288 in return for adopting Bill C-52 without amendment. On June...