Senators removed
from Liberal
Caucus

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Nicole Halseth
News Editor | ote-news@unbc.ca

very Liberal member of the upper house

was expelled from Justin Trudeau’s
caucus on 29 January, who has declared that
there is now no longer such a thing as a
Liberal senator.

The CBC reports that Trudeau “said the
former members of the Liberal Senate
caucus will sit as Independents, and they
will have no formal ties to the Liberal
parliamentary machinery apart from
through their friendships.” Trudeau also
said that “the only way to be a part of the
Liberal caucus is to be put there by the
people of Canada.”

This action will see some key members of
the Liberal Party moved outside its “inner
circles.” This move was very surprising

to Liberal senators and Senate staffers,
among others, who had not previously been
warned of the decision. Trudeau reportedly
told the Liberal senators that “the Senate

is broken and needs to be fixed,” when he
advised them of his decision.

At a news conference, Trudeau explained
that the motivator behind this action was
Senate reform. He said that “the Senate was
once referred to as a place of sober, second
thought. A place that allows for reflective
deliberation on legislation, in-depth studies
into issues of import to the country, and,

to a certain extent, provide a check and
balance on the politically driven House of
Commons. It has become obvious that the
party structure within the Senate interferes
with these responsibilities.”

This argument closely mirrors criticism
that has emerged over the past few years
over the existing Senate system, though
there is doubt over how much effect these
new changes will actually have on Senate
reform.

Trudeau also said that he envisioned the
Senate becoming non-partisan, with all
Senators sitting as Independents to better

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Matt Jiggins

serve Canadians openly and transparently.

He elaborated that “instead of being
separate from political, or electoral
concerns, senators now must consider not
just what’s best for their country, or their
regions, but what’s best for their party...

at best, this renders the Senate redundant.
At worst — and under Mr. Harper, we have
seen it at its worst — it amplifies the prime
minister’s power.”

The Conservatives, however, call the move
a “smokescreen.” Pierre Poilievre, the
Conservative Minister of State responded
that Trudeau’s proposed Senate reform
would actually damage the system. He
said “we are the one party that supports

a democratically elected Senate that is
accountable to Canadians...not only has
the prime minister named to the upper
chamber four citizens who were previously
elected by citizens in the province of
Alberta, the prime minister has also asked
the Supreme Court for a legal instruction
manual on how we can make all Canadian
senators elected. That has to be our goal.”

Prime Minister Harper also responded to
the move during question period, saying “I
gather the change announced by the leader
today is that unelected Liberal senators will
become unelected senators who happen to
be liberal...what the Liberal Party doesn't
seem to understand is that Canadians are
not looking for a better unelected Senate.
Canadians believe, for the Senate to be
meaningful in the 21st century, it must be
elected.”

The NDP also proposed Senate reform in
October of last year.

This action follows the Senate scandal
that has plagued media for over a year.
Though most of the Senators under review
are Conservative, the Liberals have been
involved through Mac Harb, a former
Liberal Senator who was under review

for his spending. The Senate’s spending

is currently being reviewed by Canada’s
auditor-general.