Senate Reform Act

An Act respecting the selection of senators and amending the Constitution Act, 1867 in respect of Senate term limits

This bill is from the 41st Parliament, 1st session, which ended in September 2013.

Sponsor

Tim Uppal  Conservative

Status

Second reading (House), as of Feb. 27, 2012
(This bill did not become law.)

Summary

This is from the published bill. The Library of Parliament has also written a full legislative summary of the bill.

Part 1 of this enactment establishes a framework for electing nominees for Senate appointments from the provinces and territories. The following principles apply to the selection process:
(a) the Prime Minister, in recommending Senate nominees to the Governor General for a province or territory, would be required to consider names from a list of nominees submitted by the provincial or territorial government; and
(b) the list of nominees would be determined by an election held in accordance with provincial or territorial laws enacted to implement the framework.
Part 2 alters the tenure of senators who are summoned after October 14, 2008.

Similar bills

S-8 (40th Parliament, 3rd session) Senatorial Selection Act
C-10 (40th Parliament, 3rd session) Constitution Act, 2010 (Senate term limits)
S-7 (40th Parliament, 2nd session) An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 (Senate term limits)
C-20 (39th Parliament, 2nd session) Senate Appointment Consultations Act
C-19 (39th Parliament, 2nd session) Constitution Act, 2007 (Senate tenure)
C-43 (39th Parliament, 1st session) Senate Appointment Consultations Act
S-4 (39th Parliament, 1st session) An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 (Senate tenure)

Elsewhere

All sorts of information on this bill is available at LEGISinfo, an excellent resource from Parliament. You can also read the full text of the bill.

Bill numbers are reused for different bills each new session. Perhaps you were looking for one of these other C-7s:

C-7 (2021) An Act to amend the Parliament of Canada Act and to make consequential and related amendments to other Acts
C-7 (2020) Law An Act to amend the Criminal Code (medical assistance in dying)
C-7 (2020) An Act to amend the Criminal Code (medical assistance in dying)
C-7 (2016) Law An Act to amend the Public Service Labour Relations Act, the Public Service Labour Relations and Employment Board Act and other Acts and to provide for certain other measures

Senate Reform ActGovernment Orders

February 27th, 2012 / 1:55 p.m.

The Deputy Speaker Denise Savoie

Order. The hon. member for La Pointe-de-l'Île.

Senate Reform ActGovernment Orders

February 27th, 2012 / 1:55 p.m.

NDP

Ève Péclet NDP La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC

Madam Speaker, I know exactly what the Constitution says. I studied law. I have a law degree and I know exactly what the Constitution says.

There is a difference between the provinces having to agree together and consulting the public. The member is putting everything in the same basket. We have to consult the public and then the provinces would negotiate together. He is putting the two principles together in the same basket and that is not the same thing.

Senate Reform ActGovernment Orders

February 27th, 2012 / 1:55 p.m.

NDP

Raymond Côté NDP Beauport—Limoilou, QC

Madam Speaker, I admire the member for La Pointe-de-l'Île's spirit. She really stressed that the Liberals would be encroaching on provincial jurisdiction. With respect to the voting system, it is no secret that the government has downloaded all responsibility onto the provinces, with very different systems from one province to the next, and has chosen to ignore the outcome. I would like my colleague to comment on the pitfalls that would create.

Senate Reform ActGovernment Orders

February 27th, 2012 / 1:55 p.m.

The Deputy Speaker Denise Savoie

The hon. member for La Pointe-de-l'Île for a brief question.

Senate Reform ActGovernment Orders

February 27th, 2012 / 1:55 p.m.

NDP

Ève Péclet NDP La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC

Madam Speaker, regardless of a given province's voting system, and regardless of what the provinces do, this bill will not fix the problem. The Prime Minister will still decide who gets into the Senate. It will not matter how many millions of dollars the provinces spend; it will not matter if voters go to the polls. In the end, the government will refuse to listen to the voters.