Bill S-218 explained in plain English
An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 (property qualifications of Senators)
Federal Parliament bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Parliament of Canada snapshot for 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. MP vote breakdowns appear when the House of Commons publishes a recorded division export for that bill. Senate and House stage details include official debate/sitting links when LEGISinfo publishes them.
Our plain-language take, written for civic education.
Source: By PoliticalData.ca
Bill S-218 would remove the requirement that Canadian Senators have a minimum personal net worth of $4,000 and eliminate real property ownership requirements for Senators representing provinces other than Quebec.
Bill S-218, titled the "Constitution Act, 2020 (property qualifications of Senators)," proposes to change the constitutional rules for who can be appointed to the Canadian Senate. Currently, the Constitution Act, 1867 requires that Senators: - Own real and personal property (land, buildings, and possessions) combined worth at least $4,000, and - Own real property worth at least $4,000 in the province they represent. This bill would: 1. Remove the $4,000 personal net worth requirement for all Senators (by repealing paragraph 4 of section 23 of the Constitution Act, 1867). 2. Eliminate the real property ownership requirement for Senators representing provinces other than Quebec (by adding a new section 23A). 3. Update the Declaration of Qualification that Senators must sign, removing references to property ownership. 4. Preserve Quebec's special rules allowing its Senators to have property qualifications based on Electoral Divisions. The bill's preamble explains that these property rules can prevent qualified people from serving in the Senate due to personal circumstances or lack of access to real property. The preamble notes that the Supreme Court of Canada confirmed Parliament has the authority to make these changes. There are coordination provisions addressing what happens if Quebec pursues a separate constitutional amendment to remove its own property qualification rules, which would require approval from Quebec's National Assembly (a power reserved under the Constitution).
- This draft was normalized from a partial local-model response and must be reviewed before publication.
The requirement that Senators own real and personal property combined worth at least $4,000 is removed.
Source: Section 2 of Bill S-218
The requirement to own real property worth at least $4,000 in the province of appointment ceases to apply to Senators representing provinces other than Quebec. This paragraph continues to apply to Quebec Senators unless changed by Quebec through its own constitutional amendment.
Source: Section 3 of Bill S-218
The lengthy declaration describing property ownership qualifications is replaced with a simplified statement that the person is duly qualified for Senate appointment.
Source: Section 4 of Bill S-218
The grounds for a Senator's seat becoming vacant are changed to remove property qualifications as a reason for vacancy, leaving residence as the main qualification-related basis for vacancy (with an exception for those serving at the Seat of Government).
Source: Section 5 of Bill S-218
Generated using AI from official bill text. Not legal advice. It is written by PoliticalData.ca for civic education, automatically checked and spot-reviewed before publishing.
Official textParliamentary Process
Bill S-218, an Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 regarding property qualifications of Senators, completed first reading in the Senate on June 16, 2020 and was debated at second reading on June 18, 2020.
Bill S-218, concerning property qualifications for Senators, completed its first reading in the Senate on June 16, 2020. The bill then proceeded to second reading, with debate occurring on June 18, 2020. The Senate is currently at the second reading stage for this bill. The artifact also lists similar bills that were introduced in previous Parliaments.
During a Senate sitting on June 16, 2020, Bill S-218 concerning property qualifications for Senators was introduced and given first reading, amidst broader discussions on procedural accessibility due to COVID-19, systemic racism, and other pressing national issues.
This record details a Senate sitting where Bill S-218, an Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 (property qualifications of Senators), received first reading. The sitting also included a question of privilege raised by Senator Wallin regarding senators' ability to participate in proceedings due to COVID-19 restrictions and the lack of virtual participation options, a motion to allow senators to speak or vote from seats other than their assigned places, senators' statements on various topics, the tabling of reports, and discussions on a range of other legislative and procedural matters. The first reading of Bill S-218 was completed, and it was placed on the Order Paper for second reading.
As of June 18, 2020, Bill S-218, aiming to change property qualifications for Senators, was undergoing debate at its second reading in the Senate.
This record indicates that Bill S-218, concerning property qualifications for Senators, was at the second reading stage in the Senate as of June 18, 2020. The stage was not yet completed. The latest activity noted is the debate at second reading on June 18, 2020, following its first reading on June 16, 2020. The provided text also lists several similar bills (S-221, S-215, S-212, S-229) introduced in previous parliamentary sessions that also dealt with amending the Constitution Act, 1867, regarding senatorial property qualifications. The status of these previous bills varied, with some having completed second reading and others being at consideration in committee or also at second reading.
On June 18, 2020, the Senate sat, addressed procedural matters, debated Bill S-218, and concluded with an extensive emergency debate on systemic racism.
On June 18, 2020, the Senate convened and heard tributes for a departing staff member. The Senate then considered a request for an emergency debate on racism, with several senators speaking in favour or against the urgency of the debate. The Speaker ruled in favour of allowing the emergency debate to proceed later that evening. The Senate also received committee reports, heard first readings of appropriation bills, and engaged in Question Period on various topics including foreign affairs, the economy, and technology. A significant portion of the sitting involved a debate on Bill S-218, concerning property qualifications for senators, which was adjourned. Several other motions and debates took place concerning committee studies and Senate procedures, including a point of order regarding an amendment to a motion about examining estimates. The sitting concluded with an emergency debate on racism, where senators shared personal experiences and called for action against systemic racism, Indigenous issues, and discrimination.
During the Senate's second reading of Bill S-218, Senator Dennis Glen Patterson argued for the removal of outdated and discriminatory property qualifications for senators, stating that these requirements are incompatible with modern democratic values and exclude many Canadians.
On June 18, 2020, the Senate of Canada was at the second reading stage of Bill S-218, An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 (property qualifications of Senators). Senator Dennis Glen Patterson spoke in favour of the bill, explaining that it aims to remove the constitutional requirements for senators to possess a net worth of $4,000 and own property valued at $4,000 in their region. He argued that these requirements are antiquated, elitist, discriminatory, and incompatible with modern democratic values, as they exclude a significant portion of Canadians from being eligible for Senate appointment. Senator Patterson cited data on income and home ownership to illustrate the financial barriers these requirements create and mentioned that similar bills proposed by former Senator Tommy Banks had died on the order paper. He also referenced a Supreme Court ruling that indicated Parliament could repeal the net worth requirement unilaterally, while repealing the property requirement would need Quebec's consent. Senator Patterson emphasized that his intention was not to change residency requirements but to modernize the institution and ensure inclusivity. Senator Pierre J. Dalphond and Senator Marilou McPhedran also spoke in support of the bill, highlighting its importance in removing outdated and undemocratic barriers to Senate appointment.
Bill S-218, which proposes to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 regarding Senator property qualifications, has not yet reached the Senate's Third Reading stage and was last debated at Second Reading.
The artifact indicates that Bill S-218, concerning property qualifications for Senators, has not yet reached the Senate's Third Reading stage. The latest activity recorded was a debate at the Second Reading stage on June 18, 2020. The bill was first read on June 16, 2020. The document also lists similar bills that were previously introduced in Parliament.
Bill S-218, which aims to change the property qualifications for Senators under the Constitution Act, 1867, has had its first reading in the House of Commons but is currently proceeding through second reading in the Senate.
This record indicates that Bill S-218, concerning amendments to the Constitution Act, 1867 regarding the property qualifications of Senators, has reached its first reading in the House of Commons. However, the provided text also shows that the bill is currently at the second reading stage in the Senate. The first reading in the House of Commons occurred on Tuesday, June 16, 2020. The artifact notes that the 'House of Commons First reading' stage has not yet been reached procedurally. The information also lists similar bills introduced in previous parliamentary sessions.
This record shows that the "House of Commons Second reading" stage for Bill S-218 has not yet occurred, while the bill is currently at second reading in the Senate.
This artifact describes the status of Bill S-218, "An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 (property qualifications of Senators)", within the legislative process. It indicates that this specific stage, "House of Commons Second reading", has not yet been reached. The bill's current status is noted as "At second reading in the Senate", with the latest activity being debate at that stage on Thursday, June 18, 2020. The artifact also lists similar bills that were introduced in previous Parliaments.
The procedural stage 'House of Commons Consideration in committee' for Bill S-218 has not yet been reached, as the bill is currently at second reading in the Senate.
This artifact describes a procedural stage for Bill S-218 in the House of Commons, specifically the stage 'House of Commons Consideration in committee'. However, the source text indicates that this stage has 'Not reached'. The bill's current status is 'At second reading in the Senate', and its latest activity was debate at second reading on Thursday, June 18, 2020, in the Senate. The artifact also lists similar bills previously introduced in Parliament concerning property qualifications of Senators.
Bill S-218, proposing changes to Senator property qualifications, is at the second reading stage in the Senate and has not yet reached the Report Stage in the House of Commons.
The provided text indicates that Bill S-218, an Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867, concerning the property qualifications of Senators, has not yet reached the Report Stage in the House of Commons. The latest activity recorded was a debate at the second reading stage in the Senate on June 18, 2020. The bill had its first reading on June 16, 2020.
Bill S-218, regarding property qualifications for Senators, has not yet reached the third reading stage in the House of Commons and is currently at second reading in the Senate.
This artifact indicates that Bill S-218, concerning property qualifications for Senators, has not yet reached the third reading stage in the House of Commons. The bill's current procedural status is at second reading in the Senate. The provided text details the bill's progression through the Senate, including its first and second readings and a sponsor's speech.
Debate and sitting links point to official parliamentary sources when LEGISinfo publishes them. Any plain-language discussion summaries should be generated from those official texts and reviewed before public display.
Vote Summary
This bill is still active. We only show vote counts after the legislature publishes a recorded division.
No published representative vote breakdown
This bill is still moving through the process. When a recorded division is published, representative positions can be listed here.
Official sources
Status, sponsor, votes, and timeline on this page are drawn from these official legislative sources and public records. Each summary above is attributed to its own source.
How this data is sourced