When picking senators, ‘hindsight is a wonderful thing’
OTTAWA — Identifying and vetting candidates for the Senate is a months-long process that includes extensive background checks and interviews — but as a growing list of senators in trouble seems to indicate, it can fail miserably at times.
The latest scandal surfaced with allegations in the Toronto Star that Sen. Don Meredith had a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old girl. Meredith resigned from the Conservative caucus Wednesday and his case was sent to the Senate ethics officer Thursday.
The Citizen spoke with several former senior officials who’ve worked in the Prime Minister’s Office and have been closely involved in appointing senators.
They admit there are no guarantees the person selected, despite the legwork that goes into the choice, will turn out to be a model citizen.
“It’s very frustrating. I don’t know what the answer is,” said Conservative Sen. Marjory LeBreton, former deputy chief of staff and director of appointments for then-Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. “It’s not an exact science.
“Obviously, a vetting process will not screen out people who have intentions that we’re not aware of, and that’s the problem,” LeBreton told the Citizen.
“You cannot legislate morality. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.”
LeBreton said the process that goes into identifying, vetting and ultimately appointing senators essentially has not changed since she was doing it for Mulroney.
But “the big change is they
“Obviously, a vetting process will not screen out people who have intentions that we’re not aware of, and that’s the problem.
MARJORY LEBRETON
CONSERVATIVE SENATOR
don’t seem to be screening them as well,” said one former senior PMO operative in a past Liberal government. “The easiest thing to change is the process for appointing people.”
One option proposed by Liberal leader Justin Trudeau is to establish a blue-chip advisory panel to recommend worthy, non-partisan members to the upper chamber.
LeBreton, however, worries that having an expert panel pick the candidates could lead to a group of senators that, while qualified, don’t necessarily reflect all of Canada.
“There should be room for blue-collar workers,” she said. “It shouldn’t be a group of people picked by elitists … it should reflect the makeup of the country.”
The process described by those who have been involved usually takes from four to six months from the point of first identifying a potential senator to officially naming the person to the chamber.
Once a Senate seat opens up in a specific region, the names of potential candidates come from many sources: ministers, backbench MPs, and community groups all recommending specific people for the job. Sometimes, the names of potential candidates come from stories in newspapers and magazines.
Candidates are often considered based on whether they have had some political or legislative experience, were leaders in their community and if they are part of under-represented groups in Parliament (such as women, aboriginals and other visible minorities). The job has also been offered to successful political fundraisers, former chiefs of staff to leaders, and past party presidents.
People identified for the short list have their name and date of birth given to the Privy Council Office, which then runs it through some key agencies — including the Canada Revenue Agency, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and the RCMP — to see if there are concerns.
The CRA won’t provide any specific tax information on an individual to the PMO and PCO, but will simply say “yes or no” if a person is considered acceptable for a Senate seat.
The RCMP and CSIS run the name for any possible criminal history such as domestic violence or impaired driving, and to see whether, for example, that person is considered too cosy to an embassy or foreign state, said one person familiar with the process.
“You make a value judgment. Anything that is a red flag is that — a red flag,” said a former senior PMO official from a past government.
Once a person clears the background checks, the PMO launches a consultation and interview process. Senior officials, usually the director of appointments, will call friends and past work colleagues of a candidate, for example, trying to get a better sense of the wouldbe senator’s character, interests and habits.
If the vetting has gone well, the director of appointments will conduct in-person and phone interviews with the candidate. Assuming no major issues arise in the interview, the top candidate is offered a Senate seat.