Senate of the Caldan Union

The Senate of the Caldan Union is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of the Caldan Union. The Senate consists of 52 senators. Three are elected from each Caldan province and one is elected from the Grand Duchy of Tarana. Each senator represents the entirety of a province and elections to the provincial delegations are staggered, with one senator being elected from each province during each general election. Tarana holds senatorial elections every three general elections. While the Senate is the upper house, it is not more powerful than the House of Representatives. It merely means that its members are accorded a higher place in the order of precedence. Because the Senate is smaller, individual members may be more influential than individual members of the House who are not also government ministers. Nonetheless, as a body, the House of Representatives is constitutionally dominant. The prime minister and Cabinet must maintain the confidence of the House of and the House is capable of passing a bill over the Senate's objections with a supermajority. All legislation must originate in the House.

History

The Senate came into existence in 2012 as a successor to the House of Lords. The first senators were appointed by the governments of the provinces and of Tarana and replaced by election over the next three general elections. The Senate was never meant to be the more deliberative chamber, to subject legislation to second thoughts more removed from practical politics, and to act as a check on the House of Representatives. It could be a brake or a revising body but a determined majority of the House of Representatives will generally prevail. Given its different role, norms of partisan political behavior are different in the Senate with all parties applying the whip much more lightly. Blocking supply in the Senate is seen as a drastic step, even by opposition parties. However, when the government does not control the Senate, the prime minister is often obligated to negotiate with the Opposition to maintain supply.

Chamber and Offices

The Senate meets in the chamber originally reserved for the House of Lords in Parliament House. However, the shift to the much smaller Senate allowed a renovation, replacing the red leather benches with chairs and desks in a similarly opulent style and the same colour scheme. The dais of the Speaker is at one end of the chamber with the royal throne above and behind it.

Only a few Senate officials have offices in Parliament House. Most senators have their offices in the Senate Office Building across St. Dimas Street.