What Does a Senator Do

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What Does a Senator Do?
Senator Lillian E. Dyck, PhD, DLitt October 2009
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Outline

• Parliament Overview
• House of Commons
• Senate
• The Senate
• The Senators
• What do we do?
• Roles and Responsibilities
• Basic Duties
• Examples

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Parliament of Canada House of Commons

• Our Parliament The House of Commons and the
  Senate
• The House of Commons
• Elected chamber of parliament
• 308 elected Members of Parliament (MPs)

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The House of Commons
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The Senate of Canada
Senate Composition - 2009
Senate Composition - 2005
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The Senate
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Senators

• Appointed by the G-G on the advice of the PM
• until age of 75.
• regional representation.
• total number 105.

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6 Saskatchewan Senators

• Sen. Raynell Andreychuck (March 1993)
• Sen. Pana Merchant (Dec. 2002)
• Sen. Robert Peterson (March 2005)

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Saskatchewan Senators

• Sen. David Tkachuk (June 1993)
• Sen. Pamela Wallin (Jan. 2009)
• Sen. Lillian E. Dyck (Apr 2005)

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Why me?

• Female, Aboriginal, Chinese
• Scientist, administrator
• Outspoken feminist
• Public contributions women, WIS, Aboriginals,
  PSE

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My Top Priorities

• Aboriginal women and Chinese Canadians
• Women in Science
• Aboriginal Education and Employment
• Mental Health

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Being sworn in as a Senator, April 2005 1st First
Nations female senator
Speaker Hays, me, Clerk Belisle
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The Senators Qualifications and Requirements

• Constitution Act, 1867, Sec. 23 - must be
• Citizen of Canada
• At least 30 years of age
• must own land worth at least 4,000 in the
  province which you represent and
• net personal worth of at least 4,000 (Todays
  dollars approx. 175,000 - 200,000).
• Resident in the province of appointment

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Oath of Allegiance for the Senate

• KNOW YOU, that as well for the especial trust
  and confidence We have manifested in you, as for
  the purpose of obtaining your advice and
  assistance in all weighty and arduous affairs
  which may the State and Defence of Canada
  concern, We have thought fit to summon you to the
  Senate of Canada

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Oath of Allegiance for the Senate

• and We command you, that all difficulties and
  excuses whatsoever laying aside, you be and
  appear for the purposes aforementioned, in the
  Senate of Canada at all times, whensoever and
  whatsoever, our Parliament may be in Canada
  convoked and holden, and this you are in no wise
  to omit.

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Declaration of Qualification

• Fifth Schedule of the Constitution Act of 1867
• that I am by Law duly qualified to be
  appointed a Member of the Senate of Canada, and
  that I am legally or equitably seised as of
  Freehold for my own Use and Benefit of Lands or
  Tenements held in Free and Common Socage in the
  Province of Saskatchewan

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Maintaining a Senate Appointment, s. 31,
Constitution act

• Maintenance of good character
• Cannot have a criminal record
• Will lose seat if found guilty of treason or any
  other infamous crime.
• Maintains residency in own province
• Not bankrupt
• Attendance in Senate Chamber
• cannot miss more than two consecutive
  parliamentary sessions
• (21 days absence allowed without penalty)

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The Main Role of Senators

• The Senate is often called the chamber of sober
  second thought.
• Senators review bills passed by the HofC
• Senators can introduce private members bills.
• All bills must be passed by both the HofC and the
  senate before they become laws.
• Serve on senate committees.

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1. Basic Legislative Duties

• 1st reading bill becomes part of Senate agenda
• 2nd reading listen, make speeches, Ask Qs
• Referral to committee listen to witnesses, ask
  Qs, read reports, e-mails, may make amendments
  or add observations
• 3rd reading - listen, make speeches, ask Qs
• Voting - return a bill to the HofC for amending,
  pass it or veto it.

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2. Basic Duties - Committees

• Bills are reviewed by Senate committees.
• Aboriginal Affairs
• Social Affairs, Science and Technology.
• Senators hear from witnesses and experts, debate
  the bill and offer amendments.
• Committees also undertake major studies.

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Examples of senate committee Reports

• APC New Voter Identification Procedures and
  Related Impacts on Aboriginal Peoples and
  Communities in Canada.   (May 2009)
• SAST Early Childhood Education and Care Next
  Steps (Apr 2009)

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3. Other Duties

• Make speeches in the chamber
• (statements, inquiries, Qs, critic or sponsor
  of bills)
• Listen and ask Qs in the chamber
• Work on specific cases or issues
• Eg., Bill C-31 and Indian status, MMAW
• Reply to letters, e-mails and phone calls.
• Attend Caucus meetings ( National Caucus, Sen.
  Liberal Caucus)
• Do media interviews
• speeches to various public audiences on different
  issues.

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Typical Schedule
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Egs. of my Speeches in the Senate chamber

• May 15th, 2007 Statement 60th Anniversary of
  the Repeal of the Chinese Immigration Act
• Jan 30, 2007 Inquiry State of Literacy
• March 12, 2009 Critic for Bill C-11, 2nd Reading
  Human Pathogens and Toxins Act
• May 13, 2009 Q Period Violence against
  Aboriginal women and children

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Egs. of my Speeches outside the chamber

• November 2006, Stages in the Path to Equity for
  Women in Science , U of S.
• The Medicine Wheel and Science at the
  DreamCatching 2009 Conference, Winnipeg, May
  2009.
• Aboriginal Students and Women Opportunities in
  a time of economic crisis, at the Aboriginal
  Human Resource Council conference, Vancouver, Apr
  2009
• Oct 2009, What does a senator do?, UofS, FNUC,
  Nutana Collegiate

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NWAC Protest against Bill C-31
Ottawa June 2005
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Egs. of Bills sent to the SAST Committee

• Bill C-32 An Act to Amend the Tobacco Act
• to regulate advertising of tobacco products
• To ban tobacco products that appeal to youth
  (flavoured tobacco products)
• Unintended consequences? May harm some
  retailers? Increase contraband?
• Passed in the chamber this week!
• Bill C-6 Consumer Product Safety Act
• stopping the manufacture, importation,
  advertisement or sale of consumer products that
  unreasonably endanger human health or safety
• Unintended consequences? Charter violations, too
  much power to the Minister and Cabinet?

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• Thanks to my senate staff
• Josiane Kakunze, Admin Assistant
• Aline Fontaine, Special Assistant
• Shaili Patel, Research Assistant
• Websites
• Senate of Canada website http//sen.parl.gc.ca/
• My Personal website http//sen.parl.gc.ca/ldyck/