'Not possible' to have non-partisan Senate leadership, Carignan says

Senators Claude Carignan and Jim Cowan appear on CTV Question Period.

Both Senate caucus leaders say the proof will be in the pudding for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Senate reform plan.

Appearing together on CTV’s Question Period, both Senate Liberal Leader James Cowan and Opposition Leader Claude Carignan said they will judge Trudeau’s new merit-based Senate selection process when it’s put into practice.

“I like process. I like the idea that there’s going to be wide consultation,” said Cowan. “The test will be, are we getting better senators as a result of this process? I think there’s good reason to believe that will happen, but the proof is in the pudding.”

While Carignan also wants to give the process a chance, he has concerns about Trudeau’s plan to appoint a non-partisan government “representative” in the Senate, which is currently without a government leader.

Carignan, who has done the job, says it’s not possible to have an independent government leader in the Senate.

“That (does) not make sense because, in fact, a government leader is partisan and not independent. I did the job,” said Carignan.

Last week, the Liberal government announced that it is creating an independent, five-member advisory body to recommend nominees for appointments to the Senate, promising to select candidates based on their merit, and not their political affiliations. The board will consist of one federal chair, two permanent members, and two ad hoc members chosen from the provinces or territories not currently represented in the Senate.

Candidates must have demonstrated a record of service to the community, the public or the field of their expertise, have proven personal qualities such as ethics and integrity, and be non-partisan.

There are currently 22 vacancies in the Senate. The advisory body will work to fill five vacancies in the most under-represented provinces quickly: two in Ontario, two in Manitoba and one in Quebec. The Liberal government’s “representative” in the Senate will be among the first five appointments. The other 17 spots will be filled by the end of 2016.

Carignan says he hopes to see diversity in the upcoming appointments.

“We don’t need to have only a person with Ph.Ds,” said Carignan. “You have to have people that will represent the groups, the minorities, the regions, different classes of people.”

Both Cowan and Carignan said their caucuses are also ready to improve the way the Senate works, so that it can focus on its role as a legislative chamber.

“It’s not a debating chamber. It’s not some sort of academic class. It is an important part of our parliamentary democracy,” said Cowan. “We need to make the Senate work better.”