Time for Senate to be bold, innovative in Canada’s parliamentary democracy

It's time to abrogate the Senate’s power to defeat legislation and replace it with a suspensive veto—i.e., the power to delay passage of legislation for a defined period. Such a suspensive veto does not in fact require a constitutional amendment and it is something that could be implemented today through the adoption of a motion by the Senate. There is much that could be done if Senators, in their new, independent role, were interested.
It's showtime: The Senate is undergoing a transformation, writes former Liberal Senator Pierre De Bané, but he says individual Senators can do so much more legislatively and administratively, they should create an indepedent oversight body which was recommended by the auditor general in 2015.
I spent 29 years in the Senate and before that nearly 16 years as a Member of Parliament in the House of Commons. During my time in the House, I served more than five years as a minister. I am pleased now to have the opportunity to offer a few suggestions on how a renewed, more "independent" Senateâ...

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