Usually, yes. The Senate is elected under a system of proportional representation. Usually no party has a majority. Things have to be done by cooperation among parties or different parties coming together. That's been the situation over many years. As a result, this process that I've been describing has been worked out over many years by consultation among parties and government, and parties in the Senate working out what's best to meet their own interests.
It's an entirely different sort of house to the Canadian Senate, I must say.