Keep partisanship out of Senate appointments

A genuine process of dialogue between the two Chambers must be developed to facilitate the serious yet efficient consideration of government legislation by the Senate.

Recent changes have reduced the excessive control by the executive over the Senate, but there isn't yet a widely common understanding among all Senators of the Senate’s role as a Chamber of sober second thought, nor of its duty to respect, except in exceptional circumstances, the legislative choices made by the House, writes Diane Bellemare. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Opinion

BY DIANE BELLEMARE

May 14, 2026

The Senate, this unloved Chamber, remains as necessary to Canada as it is in the great majority of countries that have adopted bicameralism. Its purpose is clear: providing careful second thought to legislation.

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