QUESTION PERIOD — Prime Minister’s Office
Senate Reform
October 29, 2024
My question is for Senator Gold.
In March 2016, the first senators appointed in accordance with the Senate reform Prime Minister Trudeau wanted arrived in the Senate. Now, eight and a half years later, we have 71 independent senators across three groups on both sides of the chamber. They represent the business community, public services and the sciences. They are lawyers, engineers, doctors and so on. In the government’s opinion, did this reform add value to the fundamental mission of the Senate of Canada as a complementary chamber to the elected House?
That has been the government’s position since 2016. The changes made here, the diversity of perspectives and the fact that a significant majority of senators operate independently of political control, unlike in the other place, not only add value to the legislative process in a way that benefits Canadians, but is also directly related to the Senate’s original mission, which is that it should truly be an assembly that complements the House of Commons.
As Government Representative, I must admit that these changes aren’t necessarily making things easy for the government, but the government continues to support this undertaking anyway.
In order to ensure that the Independent Senators Group isn’t accused of colluding with the government, can you confirm that I didn’t inform you that I would be asking this question? It came to me after hearing a comment from my cherished colleague Senator Plett.
Thank you.
I can confirm that I was surprised by that question. I am pleased that you gave me an opportunity to speak to this issue. I’m very proud of the work that we are doing, even if it creates a lot of challenges for my two colleagues and me in moving the legislative agenda forward. We are doing good work, and I am proud of that.
