Leader of the Opposition in the Senate (Canada)
Encyclopedia
In Canada
, the Leader of the Official Opposition in the Senate is the leader of the senate caucus of the largest party in the Senate
that is not in government. The position is appointed by the leader of the party that forms the opposition in the Senate. The counterpart in the lower house is the Leader of the Opposition in the House of Commons
, which is not to be confused with the Leader of the Opposition
, who usually also sits in the House of Commons.
Since it is the Canadian House of Commons
that determines which party is in government, the size of party caucus
es in the Senate bears no relation with which party forms the government side in the Senate and which party forms the opposition side. Thus the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate may actually lead more Senators
than the Leader of the Government in the Senate
. Because Senators have a longer tenure than MPs, this is often the case immediately after a government changes until the new prime minister can appoint more people from their party.
The Leader of the Opposition in the Senate is not necessarily from the same party as the opposition in the House of Commons. From 1993 until 2003 the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate was a Progressive Conservative
despite the fact that the Progressive Conservatives were not the Official Opposition in the House of Commons, because the parties that were the Official Opposition (Bloc Québécois
, Reform
, Canadian Alliance
) did not have Senate representation. This scenario repeated itself following the results of the 2011 election which saw the Liberal Party
lose Official Opposition status in the House to the New Democratic Party
— since the NDP has no representation in the Senate (and favours abolition of the chamber) the Liberals will continue to form the Official Opposition in the Senate.
The current Leader of the Opposition in the Senate is Liberal Senator Jim Cowan
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the Leader of the Official Opposition in the Senate is the leader of the senate caucus of the largest party in the Senate
Canadian Senate
The Senate of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the House of Commons, and the monarch . The Senate consists of 105 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister...
that is not in government. The position is appointed by the leader of the party that forms the opposition in the Senate. The counterpart in the lower house is the Leader of the Opposition in the House of Commons
Leader of the Opposition in the House of Commons (Canada)
The Leader of the Official Opposition in the House of Commons, more commonly known as the Opposition House Leader, is a member of the Official Opposition, not to be confused with the Leader of the Official Opposition, but is generally a senior member of the frontbench...
, which is not to be confused with the Leader of the Opposition
Leader of the Opposition (Canada)
The Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition , or simply the Leader of the Opposition is the leader of Canada's Official Opposition, the party with the most seats in the House of Commons that is not a member of the government...
, who usually also sits in the House of Commons.
Since it is the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
that determines which party is in government, the size of party caucus
Caucus
A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a political party or movement, especially in the United States and Canada. As the use of the term has been expanded the exact definition has come to vary among political cultures.-Origin of the term:...
es in the Senate bears no relation with which party forms the government side in the Senate and which party forms the opposition side. Thus the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate may actually lead more Senators
Senators
The term Senators can refer to:*The members of a senate*The Ottawa Senators, a National Hockey League ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada...
than the Leader of the Government in the Senate
Leader of the Government in the Senate (Canada)
The Leader of the Government in the Senate is a Canadian cabinet minister who leads the government side in the Canadian Senate and is chiefly responsible for promoting and defending the government's program in the Upper House. The government leader's counterpart on the Opposition benches is the...
. Because Senators have a longer tenure than MPs, this is often the case immediately after a government changes until the new prime minister can appoint more people from their party.
The Leader of the Opposition in the Senate is not necessarily from the same party as the opposition in the House of Commons. From 1993 until 2003 the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate was a Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
despite the fact that the Progressive Conservatives were not the Official Opposition in the House of Commons, because the parties that were the Official Opposition (Bloc Québécois
Bloc Québécois
The Bloc Québécois is a federal political party in Canada devoted to the protection of Quebec's interests in the House of Commons of Canada, and the promotion of Quebec sovereignty. The Bloc was originally a party made of Quebec nationalists who defected from the federal Progressive Conservative...
, Reform
Reform Party of Canada
The Reform Party of Canada was a Canadian federal political party that existed from 1987 to 2000. It was originally founded as a Western Canada-based protest party, but attempted to expand eastward in the 1990s. It viewed itself as a populist party....
, Canadian Alliance
Canadian Alliance
The Canadian Alliance , formally the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance , was a Canadian conservative political party that existed from 2000 to 2003. The party was the successor to the Reform Party of Canada and inherited its position as the Official Opposition in the House of Commons and held...
) did not have Senate representation. This scenario repeated itself following the results of the 2011 election which saw the Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
lose Official Opposition status in the House to the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
— since the NDP has no representation in the Senate (and favours abolition of the chamber) the Liberals will continue to form the Official Opposition in the Senate.
The current Leader of the Opposition in the Senate is Liberal Senator Jim Cowan
Jim Cowan
James S. "Jim" Cowan is a Canadian lawyer and Senator from Nova Scotia. He was appointed to the Senate by Prime Minister Paul Martin on March 24, 2005. He represents the Liberal Party of Canada...
.
See also
- List of Canadian Leaders of the Opposition in the Senate
- Leader of the Government in the Senate (Canada)Leader of the Government in the Senate (Canada)The Leader of the Government in the Senate is a Canadian cabinet minister who leads the government side in the Canadian Senate and is chiefly responsible for promoting and defending the government's program in the Upper House. The government leader's counterpart on the Opposition benches is the...
- Leader of the Opposition in the House of Commons (Canada)Leader of the Opposition in the House of Commons (Canada)The Leader of the Official Opposition in the House of Commons, more commonly known as the Opposition House Leader, is a member of the Official Opposition, not to be confused with the Leader of the Official Opposition, but is generally a senior member of the frontbench...
- Leader of the Opposition (Canada)Leader of the Opposition (Canada)The Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition , or simply the Leader of the Opposition is the leader of Canada's Official Opposition, the party with the most seats in the House of Commons that is not a member of the government...