The Senate.

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

During the late spring session, the Senate was busy examining legislation with the passage of 13 government bills (two of which were introduced in the Senate), four Commons Public Bills and two Senate Public Bills. The government bills included the budget implementation bill, supply bills and also Bill C-24, An Act to amend the Citizenship Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts, which had been sent to the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs for pre-study prior to it coming before the Senate. C-24 changed legislative provisions relating to Canadian citizenship in the areas of eligibility requirements, security and fraud, as well as application processing and review of decisions. During these three months, 16 bills received Royal Assent which included both written declarations and one traditional ceremony.

Committees

Just before the summer adjournment, the Standing Committee on Conflict of Interest for Senators presented a report amending the Conflict of Interest Code for Senators. The amendments related to the duty of a Senator and the performance of his or her parliamentary duties and functions. The amendments also renamed the Code to the Ethics and Conflict of Interest Code for Senators. The report was adopted prior to the summer adjournment.

Senators

Four Senators either resigned or reached the mandatory age of retirement during the late spring sitting. The two who resigned were Senators Hugh Segal and Romeo Dallaire. Senators Andree Champagne and Catherine Callbeck reached the mandatory retirement age of 75.

The first to depart was Ontario Senator Segal, an Order of Canada Recipient and former Chief of Staff to Brian Mulroney. Senator Segal was named to the Senate in 2005 by Prime Minister Paul Martin and served on many committees, including as Chair of the Special Senate...