Will the senator take a question?

Senator Omidvar: Yes.

Senator Downe: Thank you. I noticed you referenced the number of times the Senate has defeated legislation. You are aware, of course, that the Senate has defeated significant government bills over 50 times, only a few since the Second World War when new rules came in, obviously with restrictions that the whips of the day were enforcing.

The situation I’m personally aware of is that in the election of 1993, the Liberal Party under the leadership of Jean Chrétien promised — and it was a campaign commitment — to overturn provisions of the sale of some assets in the Toronto airport. That issue came before the Senate. Various senators from both parties had different positions on it, and some of the senators who have been here a long time would recall this. There was a crossover of how senators voted, but the initiative was eventually defeated, even though it was an election commitment of the government.

How would the senator feel about that if she had been here at that time? Would she have defeated an election commitment of the party that formed the government?

Senator Omidvar: I’m not sure I’m able to answer that hypothetical question. I was not here. I’m here today, and I’m weighing in on this bill with my logic and my reasoning, as I have said.