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Updated information on vacancies, which are at 9 as of December 29, 2023 with the retirement of Sen. Patterson from Nunavut. |
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In the 1960s, discussion of reform appeared along with the [[Quiet Revolution]] and the rise of [[Western alienation]]. The first change to the Senate was in 1965, when a mandatory retirement age of 75 years was set. Appointments made before then were for life.<ref name = SPaP/>
In the 1970s, the emphasis was on increased provincial involvement in the senators' appointments.<ref name=stillborn/> Since the '70s, there have been at least 28 major proposals for constitutional Senate reform, and all have failed,<ref name="Joyal" /> including the 1987 [[Meech Lake Accord]], and the 1992 [[Charlottetown Accord]].
Starting in the 1980s, proposals were put forward to elect senators. After Parliament enacted the [[National Energy Program]] Western Canadians called for a [[Triple-E Senate|Triple-E]] (elected, equal, and effective) senate.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.mapleleafweb.com/features/senate-reform-canada |title=Senate Reform in Canada |author=Makarenko, Jay |date=October 1, 2006 |access-date=November 24, 2008 |publisher=MapleLeafWeb}}</ref> In 1982 the Senate was given a qualified veto over certain constitutional amendments.<ref name=Joyal>{{Cite book| url=https://archive.org/details/protectingcanadi0000unse| title=Protecting Canadian Democracy: The Senate You Never Knew| last=Joyal| first=Serge| publisher=[[McGill-Queen's University Press]]| date=July 2003| isbn=978-0-7735-2619-8| df=mdy-all| url-access=registration}}</ref> In 1987 Alberta legislated for the [[Alberta Senate nominee elections]]. Results of the [[1989 Alberta Senate nominee election]] were non-binding.
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Following the [[Canadian Senate expenses scandal]] Prime Minister [[Stephen Harper]] declared a moratorium on further appointments. Harper had advocated for an elected Senate for decades, but his proposals were blocked by a 2014 [[Supreme Court of Canada|Supreme Court ruling]]<ref name="macfarlane">{{cite web |last1=Macfarlane |first1=Emmett |title=Did the Supreme Court just kill Senate reform? - Macleans.ca |url=https://www.macleans.ca/politics/did-the-supreme-court-just-kill-senate-reform/ |website=Maclean's |access-date=3 February 2020}}</ref> that requires a constitutional amendment approved by a minimum of seven provinces, whose populations together accounted for at least half of the national population.<ref name="fekete">{{cite web |last1=Fekete |first1=Jason |title=How to solve a problem like the Senate |url=https://ottawacitizen.com/news/politics/how-to-solve-a-problem-like-the-senate |website=Ottawa Citizen |access-date=3 February 2020 |language=en |date=19 June 2015}}</ref>
In 2014, Liberal leader [[Justin Trudeau]] expelled all senators from the Liberal caucus and, as prime minister in 2016, created the Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointment,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/senate-advisory-board-non-partisan-leblanc-monsef-1.3348531|title=Liberal plan to pick 'non-partisan' senators draws quick criticism|last=Harris|first=Kathleen|date=December 3, 2015 |publisher=CBC News |access-date=December 4, 2015}}</ref> both of which were attempts to make the Senate less partisan without requiring constitutional change.<ref name="macfarlane"/> Members of the board include members from each jurisdiction where there is a vacancy.<ref name="members">{{cite web |last1=Office |first1=Privy Council |title=Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointments: Mandate and members |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/campaign/independent-advisory-board-for-senate-appointments/members.html |publisher=Government of Canada |access-date=3 February 2020 |date=7 July 2016}}</ref> The board provides a short list of recommended candidates to the Prime Minister, who is not bound to accept them.<ref>{{cite news |date=January 19, 2016 |author=The Canadian Press |work=CTV News |title=Two Manitoba MPs appointed to senate advisory committee |url=https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/two-manitoba-mps-appointed-to-senate-advisory-committee-1.2743690}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/liberal-senate-advisory-board-1.3410090 |title=Senate advisory board named, 1st appointments expected within weeks |last=Tasker |first=John Paul |date=January 19, 2016 |publisher=CBC News |access-date=January 19, 2016}}</ref> Some provinces refused to participate, stating that it would make the situation worse by lending the Senate some legitimacy.<ref name="christyclark">{{cite web |title=Christy Clark says Trudeau legitimizing unaccountable Senate, B.C. under-representation |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/clark-trudeau-senate-reform-1.3353128 |website=CBC |access-date=3 February 2020}}</ref> Since this new appointments process was launched in 2016, 66 new senators, all selected under this procedure, were appointed to fill vacancies. All Canadians may now apply directly for a Senate appointment at any time, or nominate someone they believe meets the merit criteria.<ref>{{cite news|title=Chantal Peticlerc, Murray Sinclair among 7 new Trudeau-appointed senators|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/senate-appointments-1.3496977|access-date=March 18, 2016|publisher=CBC News|date=March 18, 2016}}</ref>
==Chamber and offices==
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