Should it Stay or Should it Go: the Senate Question

By Natalie Simpson

Question 7 of the October 19 referendum asks voters whether they support abolishing the federal Senate. Although this question is not binding, a majority yes vote could prompt the government to advocate alongside other provinces for an end to the Senate.

The Senate and Parliament

Dating from confederation in 1867 and modelled on the British bicameral (“two room”) legislature, the Senate plays a key role in Canadian governance. The elected House of Commons and the non-elected Senate make up Canada’s Parliament. Together they form the legislative branch of the federal government.

What does the Senate do?

The Senate reviews laws proposed by the House of Commons, often making amendments and recommendations to improve laws before approving them. Although no law can take effect without Senate approval, the Senate very rarely blocks legislation that has already been passed in Parliament.

The Senate also forms committees that study pressing issues in Canadian society, inviting experts to give their opinions (often including a broader range of experts than Parliament committees that address similar issues), and releasing reports that inform the development of laws and policies that affect everyone in Canada.

Who do Senators represent?

Four major regions of Canada have an equal number of seats in the Senate:

• 24 from Ontario,
• 24 from Quebec,
• 24 from Nova Scotia (10), New Brunswick (10), and Prince Edward Island (4), and
• 24 from the four Western provinces, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia (6 each).

Newfoundland and Labrador has six seats, and each of the territories has one. In total, there are 105 seats in the Senate.

Unlike elected Members of Parliament who represent the people who live in their riding, senators represent an entire region. All six senators from Alberta consider Albertan interests as they perform their senatorial duties.

Unlike an elected representative whose seat in Parliament depends on election by the majority, a senator can consider the perspectives of minority populations whose views may not be as strongly reflected in election results. Senators pay close attention to the experiences of women, Indigenous people, Canadians living with disabilities, and linguistic minority communities.

Who appoints Senators?

The Prime Minister recommends candidates to the Governor General who then appoints them to the Senate. In recent years, Alberta governments have wanted a greater role in appointing Senators from Alberta. Non-binding elections were held in 1989, 1998, 2004, 2012, and 2021 for Senate candidates put forward by Alberta to the Prime Minister. Just over a third of the winners of the non-binding elections were eventually appointed to the Senate.

Since 2016, an independent advisory board provides the Prime Minister with non-partisan, merit-based recommendations for Senate appointments. Any Canadian can apply to become a Senator. The board consists of two members representing whichever province has a vacant seat in the Senate. Whenever a Senator is appointed from Alberta, two independent Albertans join the board to consider the applications. There are also three permanent members of the advisory board representing the federal government. One of the current permanent members is Melissa Blake, a former mayor of Fort McMurray.

What would change?

A majority yes vote to Question 7 would not give Alberta any power to change the current structure. Abolishing the Senate would require an amendment to the Constitution, which could only happen with the consent of Parliament, the Senate, and the legislatures of all ten provinces.

Voters need to consider how abolishing the Senate could affect Canada’s democracy and Alberta’s role within the federation. Would Alberta have more or less power to influence federal legislation and policy? Would Albertans have more or less representation in Ottawa?

The outcome of Question 7 will not result in any immediate change for Albertans. A yes vote would send a clear signal that Albertans want the government to pursue constitutional change— potentially reshaping how majority and minority perspectives are represented in Canadian governance.