FAQ category: The case for abolishing

No — Alberta holds 6 of 105 Senate seats while the four Atlantic provinces hold 30, with roughly half Alberta’s population (Constitution Act, 1867, s. 22). Alberta has voted for Senate nominees since 1989; Ottawa has often ignored the result.

The Senate gives the four Atlantic provinces 30 of 105 seats (Constitution Act, 1867, s. 22) while Alberta has 6 — even though Alberta’s population is roughly twice the Atlantic provinces combined. The seat formula was frozen in 1867 and never corrected for today’s population. That isn’t protecting small provinces at today’s scale; it’s locking […]

The Senate costs about $141 million a year (Senate of Canada, 2026–27 budget) for a chamber no voter chose. That covers salaries, offices, travel, and pensions for appointed members and their staff. Abolition isn’t mainly about the dollars — it’s about who holds power — but $141 million a year for an unelected body is […]