What have senators done for Manitoba lately?

Good Day Folks:

After reading the following article we wondered how many know the number of senators from Manitoba, their names and party affiliation. We didn't so had to go to Wikipedia.

This is a list of past and present Canadian senators from the province of Manitoba.

Manitoba is currently represented by six senators, but this was not always the case. Stipulated in the Manitoba Act of 1870, the province was first represented by two senators, then to increase incrementally based on population, when the population reached 75,000 it would then be represented by a maximum of four senators. The Constitution Act of 1915 added two more senate seats for Manitoba bringing the total to six.

The Constitution Act of 1915 also amended Section 26 of the Constitution Act of 1867 to add a fourth regional division, called the Western provinces, made up of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, to allow two senators to be appointed on a regional basis.

Current Senators

Sharon Carstairs: Liberal (Manitoba)
Appointed: September 15, 1994 by Jean Chrétien
Mandatory Retirement: April 26, 2017

Maria Chaput: Liberal (Manitoba)
Appointed: December 12, 2002 by Jean Chrétien
Mandatory Retirement: May 7, 2017

Janis Johnson: Conservative (Winnipeg-Interlake)
Appointed: September 27, 1990 by Brian Mulroney
Mandatory Retirement: April 27, 2021

Don Plett: Conservative (Manitoba)
Appointed: September 15, 2009 by Stephen Harper
Mandatory Retirement: May 14, 2025

Terry Stratton: Conservative (Red River)
Appointed: March 25, 1993 by Brian Mulroney
Mandatory Retirement: March 16, 2013

Rod Zimmer Liberal (Winnipeg)
Appointed: August 2, 2005 by Paul Martin
Mandatory Retirement: December 19, 2017

Notes:

1. Senators are appointed to represent Manitoba. Each senator may choose to designate a geographic area within Manitoba as his or her division.

2. Senators are appointed by the Governor-General of Canada on the recommendation of the prime minister.

3. Party listed is the Senator's current party.

4. Senator was appointed as one of two senators under section 26 of the Constitution Act to represent the Western provinces, under the regional expansion clause that saw the Senate increase from 104 to 112 members.

Sounds like they sure live well.

Sincerely,
Clare L. Pieuk
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Senators' travel horizons grow on taxpayers' dime

By JOAN BRYDEN Ottawa/December 15, 2009 Page A4

Senators have quietly expanded their opportunities to jet around the globe courtesy of Canadian taxpayers.

A new policy, adopted last May, gives denizens of the chamber international travel privileges not enjoyed by their elected counterparts in the House of Commons.

It enabled Liberal Senator Lillian Dyck, for instance, to embark last month on a visit to her late father's ancestral home in China.

By senators' own admission, few politicians anywhere in the world are entitled to such a perk.

Details of the policy change are contained in transcripts of meetings of the Senate's bipartisan internal economy committee, which governs the chamber's operations. The transcripts are posted on the Senate's website but had done largely unoticed.

They offer a fascinating glimpse of senators' perception of their entitlements and their awareness of the potential for a public backlash.

For instance, during a meeting in October, Liberal Senator Paul Massicote railed against the fact that some senators habitually fly business class.

"I have personally asked several senators and they have told me that they travel economy when they are paying for the ticket themselves but business class when the taxpayers are paying," he said.

"I am deeply offended when I think that the tickets are going to cost $7,000 when there are people in coach paying $800 or $700."

Nevertheless, Mr. Massicote, along with Conservative Senator Nancy Ruth, recommended the policy change to allow some international travel.

Until recently, senators abided by the same travel rules as MPs. MPs and senators alike are each allotted 64 travel points a year, each point representing one free round-trip flight. They're allowed to us up to four points to visit Washington, D.C. but the rest are to be used strictly within Canada.

Senators and MPs are permitted to travel internationally as members of inter-parliamentary associations or parliamentary committees, which are funded out of separate budgets.

Last May, the Senate's internal economy committee agreed to broaden the horizons.

The committee decided each senator may now use their annual four non-Canadian travel points to fly to New York on Un-related business, as well as to Washington. Moreover, they may apply to the committee for approval to travel anywhere else in the world.

The new policy recommended by Mr. Massicote and Nancy Ruth after a year's study was unanimously appro0ved by Liberals and Conservatives on the committee.

The Canadian Press