The Senate and Minority Governments

What Canada witnessed here was a legitimate lever of this democracy.  It is  has come to light because we have had a minority government for 5 years. The balance of power in the senate tends to shift in favor of the governing party over time.  In the case of majorities freshly elected, it usually results in a frustration of the political agenda of the ruling party.  Since the Senate, for example, will tend to have more Liberals than Conservatives for many years after the Conservatives lets say, win the majority and visa versa..

This is the reason political parties stack the senate.  Its always been that way, and will continue to be that way until we have meaningful senate reform.


What is unique is that the current government is a minority government.  It hasn't had full control of legislation.  So a bill like this can pass the house regardless if the bill is in sync with the government agenda.  There has been near-hysteria in the house for a bit over a year as liberal senators have reached mandatory retirement, and have been replaced by Conservatives.  The Liberals have been using their majority in the senate to block, delay, and deep-six bills passed by the majority in the house for 5 years.  (To say that isn't so is intellectual dishonesty.) Now that senate majority is slipping away.


Despite the weakness of a minority government in the house, the rules still allow the government to choose senators.  In any minority government, regardless of party, the power of the senate will rise to levels not typically seen in Majorities.  This can be seen obviously by the fact that the Conservatives would have defeated the bill in the house had they the majority.  Legislation like this would never even see the senate except in minority government situation