It’s time to give credit where credit is due. In the shadow of major defence commitments to the tune of billions of dollars made on the heels of this week’s NATO Summit, Prime Minister Mark Carney also managed to upend the Senate selection process.
In a nod to the Davos-esque language that is fast becoming a hallmark of this government, Carney’s statement started with a nod to the shifting global landscape being the impetus for the need to modify the Senate selection process. This will, in the opinion of Carney, deliver better results to “ensure Canada’s institutions are equipped to respond to the challenges of the country they serve.”
While intriguing, the real hook is the sentence that removes the clause that candidates be non-partisan.
A quick history lesson dating back to 2015 had former prime minister Stephen Harper stating his desire to reform the senate after spending many months mired in scandal over the antics of senators he had personally appointed.
The Canadian Constitution outlines that the Senate make up is divided among provinces and territories. To make structural changes to the makeup and powers of the Senate, provincial approval representing two-thirds of the provinces representing at least 50 per cent of the population is required.
Harper knew this. It was his hope that by no longer appointing senators, provinces would start to feel the heat and come up with a plan to bring order to a body that was “unelected [and] unaccountable.”
He was never able to put this plan into motion in any serious way, as an election was right around the corner and the Conservatives would soon be unseated. Canadians were then left with former prime minister Justin Trudeau’s version of Senate reform. Shortly after the 2015 election, the government rolled out a non-partisan selection process to choose worthy candidates. At the time, it was billed as a fresh start and a shift away from political interference.
That didn’t stop the Trudeau government from moving forward with appointing Liberal donors, operatives, and former candidates to the red chamber. With every new appointment, the independent and non-partisan advisory board was used as a shield to deflect criticism of the choices made.
Unlike Trudeau, Carney has simply ripped the band aid off and accepted that you’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t. By the end of the year, the government will announce a “new Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointments.”
The new approach is frankensteinian–a blatant attempt by Carney to have his cake and eat it too. However, one need only look at past decisions to know that the headaches caused by the Senate appointment process won’t disappear just because a clause over partisanship (or lack thereof) is removed. In reality, partisan influence never ceased. So, while Carney deserves accolades for at least being transparent about political appointees, it in no way means that he won’t bear responsibility for their future missteps.
Josie Sabatino is a Senior Consultant at Summa Strategies, focused on providing strategic insight and helping clients meet their objectives in an ever changing and complex political and regulatory environment. Prior to joining Summa, Josie spent nearly a decade in political communications and most recently served as the Director of Communications to the Hon. Erin O’Toole, former Leader of the Official Opposition.
