QUESTION PERIOD — Privy Council Office
Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointments
June 9, 2021
Senator Gold, the Trudeau government used to assure us that the Senate appointment system was very independent and non-partisan. They would say that Prime Minister Trudeau doesn’t appoint all the panellists because each province picks its own two panellists to sit on each regional Senate appointment panel.
Well, the Trudeau government no longer trumpets this. Many of the provinces have declined to participate in this smokescreen appointment process. In those cases, that means Prime Minister Trudeau appoints all their Senate appointment panellists, who then give him secret, non-binding lists so that the Prime Minister picks all the senators. Independent and non-partisan indeed.
We know the Saskatchewan government doesn’t pick their panellists. It’s the same with the previous Manitoba and B.C. governments.
With a big batch of senators soon to be named, it is important that the Canadian public be able to evaluate how independent and non-partisan the Trudeau Senate appointment process really is.
My question is this, Senator Gold: For which provinces has the Prime Minister’s Office, or PMO, appointed all of the Senate appointment panellists?
Honourable senators, I don’t know that there is an answer to the question, because there is so much embedded in your question that it is disturbing, frankly.
The process of appointing senators, which was put into place by this government, has produced an impressive group of senators in the Senate of Canada. I am sure that your question did not imply otherwise.
Provinces have the responsibility and the privilege of naming the members of those panels. Some have lagged behind for reasons I do not know. This has slowed down the process of appointments, to the regret of the government.
I have no information whatsoever, senator, to the effect that the Prime Minister or the PMO has engaged in an inappropriate way in the selection of the panels. Any suggestion otherwise is something that I simply cannot respond to further.
My first question was about “which provinces.” Perhaps you could inquire about that, Senator Gold.
The Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointments is supposed to file a report within three months after an appointment cycle. They have not filed a report for two and a half years. Since then 12 senators have been appointed, and a big new bunch is apparently coming soon, yet the Canadian public has no transparency on this so-called independent, non-partisan process.
One thing we do know is that this bit of smoke and mirrors is very expensive. The reports indicate about $500,000 every appointment cycle. Former Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation mentor, now Chair of the Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointments, Huguette Labelle, is paid up to a $650 per diem for this position.
Senator Gold, given this hefty government stipend, why isn’t the chair producing reports to provide taxpayers with this accountability more frequently than once every two and a half years?
With the admonitions of our esteemed Senator Munson in mind, I will simply respond as follows: I will make inquiries as to the delay in the filing of the reports. The government has every confidence in the officials, including Madam Labelle, who are doing work on behalf of Canadians and on behalf of a more independent, less partisan and more diverse Senate.
