The Conservative government is introducing a Senate reform bill that will give senators appointed since October 2008 a single non-renewable eight-year term.
Steven Fletcher, minister of state for democratic reform, made the announcement at a news conference in Ottawa Monday afternoon. He was joined by Sen. Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu.
"Setting term limits for senators is an important first step in increasing the legitimacy of the Upper House," Fletcher said.
"In a recent poll, two-thirds of Canadians say they support limiting the term limits of senators to eight years. We agree with Canadians."
The eight-year terms would come into effect as soon as the bill receives royal assent, Fletcher said.
It marks the fourth time in four years the Conservatives have tried to pass a bill imposing term limits on senators. Earlier versions were either stalled by the Liberals or killed by prorogation.
Currently, members of the Senate have to retire at the age of 75.
The Tories had introduced a proposal for eight-year terms before they prorogued Parliament but the Liberals would not agree to the move.
NDP MP David Christopherson called changing the term limits of senators "tinkering around the edges" and not real reform.
"What we care about is not so much how long senators are in the Senate, but how they get there," he said, speaking to reporters after the news conference had ended.
Senators are appointed to the Upper House by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister.
There are 105 members in the Senate, 51 of whom are Conservatives.
Since declaring he planned to reform the Senate, Prime Minister Stephen Harper has appointed 32 new senators.
