The Senate.

• Author: Moss-Norbury, Vanessa
• Position: Legislative Reports

After the May 2, 2011 general election, there was both continuity and change in a number of key positions in the Senate in the new Parliament. Speaker Noel A. Kinsella has continued in office, as have the Leader of the Government, Senator Marjory LeBreton, the Leader of the Opposition, Senator James Cowan, and the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Senator Claudette Tardif. On the other hand, there is a new Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate, with Senator Claude Carignan taking on these responsibilities, and a new Government Whip, with Senator Elizabeth Marshall assuming that role.

The 41st Parliament first assembled on June 2, 2011, following the May 2, 2011 general election, to receive communications from the Crown. The House of Commons was directed to elect its Speaker, and both Houses were informed that the Speech from the Throne would take place in the Senate Chamber on the following day.

Among the items of particular interest to the Senate was the Government's renewed commitment to pursue reform of the Senate. This time however, the proposed legislation to set fixed mandates and provincially managed elections will be first considered in the House of Commons rather than the Senate.

After the Speech, the Senate appointed a Committee of Selection to nominate a Speaker pro tempore and the senators to serve on the different standing committees. On June 9, 2011, the Committee of Selection presented both its first report, nominating Senator Donald Oliver as Speaker pro tempore, and its second report, nominating committee membership. Both reports were adopted later that day. As a result, most of the standing committees were able to hold organization meetings during the month of June, and several motions were adopted in the Senate to authorize some of them to start work on special studies.

Bills

As committees were starting their work, the Senate also turned to the consideration of bills. As is standard at the start of each session, the first bill introduced in the Senate was Bill S-1, An Act relating to railways. The pro forma bill asserts the right of the Senate to deal with other business before proceeding to the consideration of the matters expressed in the Speech from the Throne.

On June 14, 2011, the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs began a pre-study of Bill C-2, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (mega-trials). The bill itself was subsequently referred to the committee, which presented its report on...