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S-228At second reading in the Senate

Changing the Rules About Senators and Their Property

Senators' Property Rules Change

Introduced Nov 24, 2021·Last discussed Apr 27, 2023
Summary

This proposed law wants to change the rules about who can be a Senator in Canada. Currently, to become a Senator, you need to own land in the province you want to represent. The land must be worth at least $4,000. This proposed law would remove this rule completely. Senators would no longer need to own any land to qualify for the job. This change would affect anyone who might want to become a Senator in the future. It would open the door for people who don't own property to be appointed. It could also affect current Senators if they were to sell their land. This proposed law matters because it could make the Senate more representative of the Canadian population. Not everyone owns land, so removing this requirement could allow for a wider range of people to become Senators. It also modernizes the rules, as the original property requirement was created a long time ago when land ownership was more common and important.

Where This Lands on Key Issues

Where this proposed law falls on the policy spectrums that Canadians care about

Political & Electoral ReformProportional representation

The bill removes a property ownership requirement for Senators, which is a minor reform to the qualifications for holding the position. This leans slightly towards democratic overhaul by modernizing the Senate's composition criteria.

This bill
Bill Quality
Solid

This proposed law removes the requirement for Senators to own a certain amount of property, which could allow a wider range of people to become Senators. However, it only removes the property requirement for Senators representing provinces other than Quebec, which is not explained.

Things to Watch For

  • It is not clear why Quebec is excluded from the property qualification removal.
  • The law does not address other potential barriers to becoming a Senator.
  • The impact of removing the property qualification on the Senate's composition is unknown.
Progress

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