What Is the Senate?

• Author: Gary William O'Brien
• Pages: 13-18

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What Is the Senate?

e Senate of Canada is the upper house of the Parliament of Canada.

As one scholar has observed, it is “a uniquely Canadian institution

to serve uniquely Canadian needs.” It is composed of  appointed

members who represent the various provinces and territories of the

country. e distribution of seats is made on a regional basis, with

twenty-four senators from the Maritimes Division, twenty-four from

the Quebec Division, twenty-four from the Ontario Division, and

twenty-four from the Western Division. e Province of Newfound-

land and Labrador has six senators, and the three territories (Yukon,

the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut) have one senator each.

e Canadian Senate is the only non-elected legislature in

Canada and its only upper house. Senators are summoned by the

Governor General on the advice of the prime minister and can serve

until the age of seventy-f‌ive. Despite its non-elective basis, the Sen-

ate’s legislative powers are identical to those of the House of Com-

mons with two exceptions: money bills must originate in the House

of Commons; and amendments to the Canadian Constitution can

be made without the agreement of the Senate.

ere have been only a few constitutional amendments aect-

ing the Senate. A mandatory retirement age of seventy-f‌ive was

adopted in , and a -day suspensive veto on constitutional