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Senate of Canada

Background Color#770C05
Text Colorwhite
NameSenate of Canada
Sénat du Canada
Legislature41st Parliament
Coa PicSenate_Canda.jpg
House TypeUpper House
Leader1 TypeSpeaker
Leader1Noël Kinsella
Party1Conservative
Election1February 8, 2006
Leader2 TypeLeader of the Government in the Senate
Leader2Marjory LeBreton
Party2Conservative
Election2February 6, 2006
Leader3 TypeLeader of the Opposition in the Senate
Leader3Jim Cowan
Party3Liberal
Election3November 3, 2008
Members105
Structure141st Can Senate.svg
Structure1 Res260px
Structure1 AltCurrent Structure of the Senate
Political Groups1 
 
 
 
 
Voting System1Appointment by the Governor-General on advice of the Prime Minister
Session RoomCansenate.jpg
Session Res260px
Session AltThe Senate of Canada sits in the Centre Block in Ottawa
Meeting PlaceCentre Block
Parliament Hill
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada

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The Senate of Canada ( ) is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the monarch (represented by the governor general) and the House of Commons. The Senate consists of 105 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister. Seats are assigned on a regional basis, with each of the four major regions receiving 24 seats, and the remainder of the available seats being assigned to smaller regions. The four major regions are: Ontario, Quebec, the Maritime provinces, and the Western provinces. The seats for Newfoundland and Labrador, the Northwest Territories, Yukon, and Nunavut are assigned apart from these regional divisions. Senators may serve until they reach the age of 75.

The Senate is the upper house of Parliament, and the House of Commons is the lower house. This does not, however, imply that the Senate is more powerful than the House of Commons, merely that its members and officers outrank the members and officers of the House of Commons in the order of precedence for the purposes of protocol. Indeed, as a matter of practice and custom, the Commons is by far the dominant chamber. Although the approval of both houses is necessary for legislation, the Senate rarely rejects bills passed by the directly elected Commons. Moreover, the government is responsible solely to the House of Commons; the Prime Minister of Canada and Cabinet stay in office only while they retain the confidence of the Commons. The Senate does not exercise any such control. Although legislation can normally be introduced in either house, the majority of government bills originate in the House of Commons. Under the Constitution, money bills must always originate in the House of Commons.


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