Briefing notes to Liberal cabinet ministers now include a greater focus on how laws are likely to be received by the Senate, the documents show. OTTAWA—A more unpredictable Senate is forcing the Liberal government to pay near-unprecedented attention to dynamics in the Red Chamber, documents obtained by the Star suggest. Now, Trudeau’s government is having trouble advancing its agenda in a Senate dominated by “non-aligned” senators, Liberals free from party discipline, and Conservatives almost constitutionally opposed to the Liberals’ priorities. His colleague, Halifax Sen. Stephen Greene, agreed that Senate rules need updating in the unprecedented situation the chamber finds itself in. A Liberal proposal to “modernize” House of Commons rules has helped stall debate in that chamber for weeks.

Source: thestar April 23, 2017 10:52 UTC