Quote:
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In being able to amend, postpone and veto legislation, the Senate was constitutionally granted the power needed to make it effective. Yet, due to its appointed nature and in the shadow of public criticism, the Senate has often refrained from exercising this power.
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http://www.parl.gc.ca/37/1/parlbus/commbus...Upper%20Chamber
Emphasis mine, but it makes the point. There were also conventions around appointing Senators which Mulroney broke when he put the GST through, and it looks like Canadians took those conventions pretty seriously.