Dozens of senators routinely miss key votes in the Red Chamber

In the 12 months followers the endure federal soldier election, the Senate convened for simply 76 posing days. Still, only eight senators had a perfect attendance record over that time period; others were absent for reported reasons like commitments elsewhere, time off or illness, with days away ranging from one to 54.

Senate sources also report a trend: some senators briefly attend, are marked present and then leave shortly thereafter. This phenomenon is more common on Thursdays when some members are eager to leave Ottawa early on the final day of their three-day sitting week. 

Sources said this is one reason why attendance is sometimes higher than the number of votes cast on a given day.

These sources said some senators realize their colleagues' spotty attendance record is a problem and have vowed to address it when the upper house reconvenes after its summer break at the end of September.

But after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reformed the Senate — changes that effectively did away with "whips" who closely policed attendance and counted votes — there is relatively little that can be done to force senators, who are free from party pressure, to show up.

Attendance was also an issue in the "partisan" era, though, with one senator famously busted for often being in Mexico.

In announcing an overhaul to the Senate appointments process this week, Prime Minister Mark Carney also signalled he wants to see a change in how the place operates so it's "equipped to advance ambitious legislation."

Carney said his new government is moving quickly and that "requires strong, effective and focused representatives."

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When asked for comment on the poor attendance record of some senators, Conservative Senate Leader Leo Housakos said serving in the Red Chamber "is not a part-time position or a side pursuit."

"Certainly, there are legitimate reasons why a senator may occasionally or even frequently be absent, including illness or official public duties," Housakos said.

"However, beyond those circumstances, if attending the Senate three days a week, particularly when votes are scheduled, for roughly 26 weeks a year, or even fewer, is viewed as too burdensome, then it raises a legitimate question about whether the Senate is the appropriate place for them."

Sen. Gigi Osler, the leader of the Canadian Senators Group, meanwhile, said a senator's responsibilities "extend beyond the chamber."

"It would not be appropriate to draw conclusions about an individual senator's commitment based solely on chamber attendance statistics," she said.

Sen. Lucie Moncion, the facilitator of the Independent Senators Group, the largest contingent in the Red Chamber, said her members "regularly discuss how best to balance our responsibilities when parliamentary work extends beyond time spent in the chamber."

Roughly 90 to 95 senators were active in this session of Parliament with about 10 vacancies in the 105-member appointed body.

For a vote on C-4, Carney's middle-class tax cut, GST housing relief and consumer carbon tax elimination legislation, 60 senators were present.

The government's anti-hate crime legislation, C-9, also passed with 60 members of the upper house voting.

A final vote on C-12, legislation to strengthen the border and tighten asylum claims, had 52 senators weigh in.

The government's budget, C-15, arguably the most important piece of legislation Parliament deals with in any given sitting, was voted on by 70 members of the upper house.

For a final vote on legislation granting the government some $86 billion in funds to spend, 60 senators showed up.

Another spending bill, implementing part of the spring economic update — a critical piece of legislation — fared a little better: 68 senators were present for that third-reading vote.

A number of bills, like those authorizing free trade deals with the U.K. And Indonesia, passed on a voice vote so exactly how many people were present in the chamber for a final say is unknown.

And there were times when more than 80 senators were on hand for big votes.

But the number of non-voting MPs on recent bills and motions is a fraction of some of the figures reported in the appointed upper house which, unlike the House of Commons, does not have electronic voting.

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Donald Savoie, a former member of the Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointments, which helped pick some of the current members of the upper house, said some senators are away often because there is no meaningful penalty for absenteeism.

Meanwhile, in the Commons, there could be an electoral price to pay for being a chronic no-show, he said.

"As long as the Senate is appointed, it will be what it is: not accountable, and that's the essence of the problem. They will do whatever the hell they want to do for as long as they want to do it, and it fuels cynicism towards Canadian politics and democracy, especially among young people."

Conservative Sen. Dawn Anderson was present for 44 of the 76 sitting days between May 2025 and the same month this year, according to the most recent publicly available figures.

Of all her colleagues, Anderson reported the most days absent due to being away on "other public business": 27 days. That's more than a third of all days senators were scheduled to be on Parliament Hill.

Independent Sen. Nancy Karetak-Lindell missed 12 days for "other public business" and 14 for unspecified "leave."

Spokespeople for both senators did not respond to requests for an explanation. 

The Senate loosely defines "other public business" on a sitting day as "any activity which a senator carries out in that official capacity that is not related to the senator's private concerns."

The second category of absence is "leave," which is the 21 days off each senator gets in a session without incurring a pay deduction. The Senate claws back $250 for each missed day after that threshold.

Plus, a number of senators, some for long stretches, were also away due to illness.

Independent Sen. Rosa Galvez missed 20 of the 76 sitting days, explaining most of these absences were due to serving as a keynote speaker, expert witness or panellist at various conferences on climate change, sustainable finance and the energy transition, among other topics.

"These engagements are directly relevant to my legislative work and my duties," she said as part of a page-long explanation. "I receive a high volume of these invitations because I am the only environmental engineer currently serving in the Senate."

Canadian Senators Group Sen. Rob Black missed 15 of 76 sitting days. His office explained these absences were due to his appearances at "speaking events across the country related to agriculture," the Senate's soil health report and a bill on that topic he introduced.

These appearances have been "clearly highlighted on his social media platforms," Black's office said. "All attendance has been appropriately logged and provided to the clerk of the Senate."

In Trudeau's reconstituted Senate there has been a proliferation of public bills — legislation akin to a private member's bill in the Commons — which critics inside the chamber itself say has distract the body from its main constitutional responsibility: reviewing government legislation. Defenders, meanwhile, say these independent senators highlight issues that previously went unnoticed.

Still, Savoie said 76 sitting days in a year is not a major commitment and time in the chamber should take precedence over other matters.

"Senators are well paid, they have staff and great social benefits," he said, referencing the $192,700 base salary for senators.

Other senators, including the Speaker, leaders, deputy leaders, facilitators, liaisons, caucus chairs and committee chairs, are paid even more. 

"If senators don't show up for work there will be a growing disdain for our institutions. That's the part that worries me," Savoie said.

Senior reporter

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