The Harper government introduced an act which would subject unelected senators to oversight from the same ethics officer who monitors the conduct of MPs.

Stephen Fletcher, minister of state for democratic reform, introduced the Senate Ethics Act Thursday. It calls for a single parliamentary ethics officer for both the Senate and House of Commons.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper tried to pass a similar measure in the Federal Accountability Act in 2006 but withdrew it because of opposition in the Liberal-dominated Senate.

Attempts by former prime ministers Jean Chretien and Paul Martin to create a single ethics regime were also rejected by the senate. Conservative and Liberal senators alike have long contended that a separate Senate ethics watchdog is necessary to maintain the independence of the upper chamber.

Currently, there are two ethics officers in Ottawa: one that oversees the House of Commons and one that oversees the Senate. The role of the Senate ethics officer was created on April 1, 2005.

Liberal Senator Serge Joyal said there's no need for ethics reform because the current system works well and has proven to be efficient.

Besides, in the Westminster system, Joyal said it is a constitutional principle that each house is required to control its own affairs and members. If the government were to adopt the new act, Canada would be the only country in the world that allows one house to control the ethics of the other, he added.

"I don't see the need to change all that just for the sake of one house trying to dominate the other," he told CTV Newsnet.

As the economy struggles and politicians are demanding employment insurance reform, Joyal said there are "many more pressing issues" that the government should be worried about.

Sources told The Canadian Press the Harper government also intends to reintroduce two bills, near the end of May, imposing an eight-year limit on senators' terms and requiring future senators to be elected near the end of the month.

Both measures were introduced twice before during Harper's first term but were never passed because of opposition from Liberal senators and a number of provinces that questioned their constitutionality.