| Parliament name |
Parliament |
| Structure of parliament |
Bicameral |
| Chamber name |
Senate |
| Related chamber (for bicameral parliaments) |
House of Representatives
|
| APPOINTMENT AND TERM OF OFFICE |
| Title |
President of the Senate |
| Term |
- duration: 5 years (term of House)
- reasons for interruption of the term: resignation, death, dissolution of the Senate
|
| Appointment |
- elected by all the Senators
- election is held after a general election and before Members are sworn in
|
| Eligibility |
- any Senator who is not a Minister or Parliamentary Secretary may be a candidate |
| Voting system |
- formal vote by secret ballot if there is more than one candidate
- by simple majority
- if no candidate obtains the required majority in the first round, several rounds are held until a candidate receives a majority. No new candidates are admitted if there is a succession of votes.
|
| Procedures / results |
- the Clerk presides over the Senate during the voting
- the Clerk supervises the voting
- the Clerk announces the results without any delay
- no procedure is foreseen for challenging the results
|
| STATUS |
| Status |
- ranks after the Governor General
- has precedence over the Speaker of the House of Representatives
- presides over joint sittings of both Houses
- represents the Senate with the public authorities
- is ex officio member of bodies outside Parliament
- represents the Senate in international bodies
- in the absence of the President, the Vice-President can assume his/her role and functions
|
| Board |
|
| Material facilities |
- salary |
| FUNCTIONS |
| Organization of parliamentary business |
- establishes and modifies the agenda
- organizes the debates and sets speaking time
- examines the admissibility of bills and amendments
|
| Chairing of public sittings |
- can open, adjourn and close sittings
- ensures respect for provisions of the Constitution and Standing Orders
- makes announcements concerning the Senate
- takes disciplinary measures in the event of disturbance, and lifts such measures
- establishes the list of speakers, gives and withdraws permission to speak
- establishes the order in which amendments are taken up and selects which amendments are to be debated
- calls for a vote, decides how it is to be carried out, verifies the voting procedure and cancels a vote in the event of irregularities
- checks the quorum
- authenticates the adopted texts and the records of debates
- interprets the rules or other regulations governing the life of the Senate
|
| Special powers |
- assists in the preparation of the Senate's budget
- organizes the services of the Senate
- is responsible for safety, and in this capacity, can call the police in the event of disturbance in the Senate
|
| Speaking and voting rights, other functions |
- provides guidelines for the interpretation or completion of the text under discussion
- intervenes in the parliamentary oversight procedure
- signs the bills passed by the Senate before submitting them to the Governor General for assent
- has an advisory role in ensuring the constitutionality of laws
|
