Argumentative Essay: We Should Keep The Senate In Canada

The Senate: “The upper chamber of Parliament where there are 105 members who are appointed until age 75 by the Crown on the advice if the prime minister.” (Rules of the Game pg 106)The original Senate that was created in 1867 had only originally 72 seats. It was created to counter balance representation population in the House of Commons, although in recent years the Senate has become to reinforce representation of groups that have often been underrepresented in parliament, examples; Aboriginals, visible minorities and women. There has been a huge debate’s on whether Canada should keep the Senate. The people all over Canada have mixed opinions on if we should keep the Senate or not. Some Canadians believe that we should abolish it. Others could

All over Canada, Canadians have different views as for what should we do about the Senate .Yes, the Senate has some important qualities but what we do not need the Senate for today is one of its original purposes, to represent the interests of the provinces in the federal legislative policy process. For example, people like “Ralph Goodale, who fought hard for Saskatchewan’s interest around the Cabinet table for more than a dozen years. John Baird, the regional minister for Eastern Ontario today,”(Eugene Lang) is a current equivalent. The provincial interest is taken care of by regional ministers in a way that no senator or group of senators could hope to

The bills are studied to find out how they might affect the daily lives of Canadians. Changes are suggested to improve them. In the event some bills may even be rejected. The Senate may also introduce bills of its own, even though most bills are introduced in the House of Commons. A bill is not able to become law in Canada without Senate approval. The Senate is responsible for protecting the rights and interests of Canadians in all of its regions, especially minority groups or people who do not often get a chance to present their opinions to Parliament. Before a bill can become law, it goes through three stages, called "readings," in both Houses. The bill is debated, adjusted and then voted on by each House. Once approved, the bill is presented to the Governor General for royal assent and is made law. Another role of the Senate, not plainly provided for in the Constitution, “is to act as a non-ideological, routine revising chamber that picks up flaws in legislation that have avoided notice during a bill’s passage through the House of Commons.” (Jay Makarenko) Accordingly, the Senate might highlight confusing ideas or language in legislation, or raise questions about potential loopholes that may diminish the usefulness of a certain