Leader of the government to the Senate (Canada)

The Leader of the government to the Senate (English: Leader off the Government in the Senate ) is a member of the the Council of Ministers Canada which directs the party of the government to the Sénat of Canada and is mainly responsible for the promotion and the défence of the program of the government to the Upper House. The leader is selected by the Prime Minister. The counterpart of the Leader of the government on the benches of the Opposition is the Leader of the Opposition to the Senate.

The current Leader of the government to the Senate is Marjory LeBreton.

Role

The responsibilities for the Leader of the government to the Senate include/understand:

the planning and administration of the governmental legislative program to the Senate
to answer the questions for the government during the period of the questions to the Senate
of maintaining relationships to the opposition about all the questions concerning the activities of the Senate
of working with the Leader of the government to the House of Commons in order to ensure the effective coordination of the governmental legislative program.

The side of the government to the Senate is the party which forms the government with the House of Commons of Canada. This wants to say that the party of the government to the Senate can have less seats than the Opposition, especially when general elections make that a new party forms the government.

History

The primitive Canadian cabinets included/understood several senators who would be responsible with the Senate for the actions for the government. At the 19th century, it was not unusual for a senator to be a Prime Minister. Sir John Joseph Caldwell Abbott and to sir Mackenzie Bowell have both directed the government since the Senate. Abbott and Bowell have both tested difficulty of directing the government since the Upper House, however, and during the years, légitimeté of the Senate dropped in public perception. With time, it became less current for senators to occupy of the important stations to the Cabinet. Starting from 1935, it became usual to include one senator with the Cabinet, which was Minister without portfolio and acted as Leader of the government to the Senate.

April 1st 1969, the post of Leader of the government to the Senate became an official post of minister with the nomination of Paul Joseph James Martin (father of the 21e Prime Minister of Canada, Paul Martin).

From time to time, a senator can still hold important stations with the cabinet in order to ensure a balance regional within the Council of Ministers if the party in power is unable to make elect Député S in an area or province particlière. For example, when the Parti progressist-conservative Canada formed the government under Joe Clark in 1979, and when the Liberal party of Canada formed the government under Pierre Trudeau in 1980. However, in the usual cases, the Leader of the government to the Senate is the only senator belonging to the Council of Ministers.

List

Before 1969

Alexander Campbell, July 1st 1867 - November 7th 1873 (Preserving)
Luc Letellier of St-Just, November 7th 1873 - December 14th 1876, (Liberal)
Sir Richard William Scott, December 14th 1876 - October 7th 1878, (Liberal)
Alexander Campbell, October 18th 1878 - January 26th 1887, (Preserving)
Sir John Joseph Caldwell Abbott ¹, May 12th 1887 - October 30th 1893, (Preserving)
Sir Mackenzie Bowell ², October 31st 1893 - April 27th 1896, (Preserving)
Sir Oliver Mowat, August 19th 1896 - November 18th 1897, (Liberal)
David Mills, November 18th 1897 - February 7th 1902, (Liberal)
Sir Richard William Scott, December 14th 1902 - 1908, (Liberal)
Sir Richard John Cartwright, 1909 - October 6th 1911, (Liberal)
Sir James Alexander Lougheed, October 10th 1911 - December 28th 1921, (Preserving)
Raoul Dandurand, December 29th 1921 - June 28th 1926, (Liberal)
William Benjamin Ross ³, June 28th 1926 - September 24th 1926, (Preserving)
Raoul Dandurand, September 25th 1926 - August 6th 1930, (Liberal)
Wellington Bartley Willoughby, August 7th 1930 - February 3rd 1932, (Preserving)
Arthur Meighen, February 3rd 1932 - October 22nd 1935, (Preserving)
Raoul Dandurand, October 23rd 1935 - March 11th 1942, (Liberal)
James Horace King, May 26th 1942 - August 24th 1945, (Liberal )
Wishart McLea Robertson, August 24th 1945 - October 14th 1953, (Liberal)
William Ross Macdonald, October 14th 1953 - June 20th 1957, (Liberal)
John Thomas Haig, October 9th 1957 - May 11th 1958, (Progressist-conservative)
Walter Morley Aseltine, May 12th 1958 - August 31st 1962, (Progressist-conservative)
Alfred Johnson Brooks, August 31st 1962 - April 21st 1963, (Progressist-conservative)
William Ross Macdonald, April 22nd 1963 - February 2nd 1964, (Liberal)
John Joseph Connolly, February 3rd 1964 - April 19th 1968, (Liberal)
Paul Joseph James Martin ⁴, April 20th 1968 - April 1st 1969

Notes:

¹ Prime Minister of Canada from June 16th, 1891 to November 24th, 1892.

² Prime Minister of Canada from December 21st, 1894 to April 27th, 1896.

³ No competitor wallet with the cabinet.

⁴ Minister without portfolio and leader de facto of the government to the Senate until April 1st, 1969; on this date, the Leader of the government to the Senate became an official ministerial position.

Source

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