Quote:
Originally Posted by Major Major
I'm a bit confused how Senate appointments are made and whether or not this would effect that. The PM and GG appoint new senators to replace those in their way out, and they pick senators (in theory) who best fit the job, or do they pick someone from the party of the outgoing senator?
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Neither, really. The PM picks senators, almost always from his party or with similar ideology - nothing to do with "best fit" for the job but rather "will do what the PM wants", and asks the GG to appoint them. I've never heard of the GG not appointing the senator the PM recommends.
Some of the most egregious abuses of this power, at least in my mind, have been when the Senate resists passing a bill so the PM adds seats to the Senate and appoints enough members from his own party to get majority control (the Liberals and Conservatives have both done this).