What is the Speaker of the Senate?

The Speaker of the Senate of Canada is the presiding officer of the upper chamber. Unlike the Speaker of the House of Commons (who is elected by MPs), the Speaker of the Senate is appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister. The appointment is made under section 34 of the Constitution Act, 1867. The Speaker serves at the Prime Minister's pleasure and can be replaced when the government changes or at the Prime Minister's discretion.

The current Speaker of the Senate is Raymonde Gagné, appointed May 2, 2023 by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. She is the second woman Speaker of the Senate (after Muriel McQueen Fergusson, 1972 to 1974, the first woman Speaker in the British Commonwealth). Recent Speakers include George Furey (2015 to 2023, the longest-serving recent Speaker), Leo Housakos (2015), Pierre Claude Nolin (2014 to 2015, who died in office), Noël Kinsella (2006 to 2014), Daniel Hays (2001 to 2006), and Rose-Marie Losier-Cool (1999 to 2000, briefly the second woman Speaker).

The Speaker's duties include presiding over Senate sittings, ruling on points of order, and managing the internal affairs of the Senate through the Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration Committee. The Speaker votes on questions before the Senate (unlike the Speaker of the House of Commons, who only votes to break ties); the Senate Speaker votes on every motion. The Speaker also administers Royal Assent ceremonies in the Senate Chamber, presides over the annual Senate opening, and represents the Senate at ceremonial events including state visits.

The Speaker is supported by the Speaker pro tempore (the deputy speaker) and the Clerk of the Senate (the senior procedural officer, currently Gérald Lafrenière). The Speaker's chair sits at the head of the Senate Chamber, with the throne (used by the Governor General during the Speech from the Throne) at one end. The Senate Chamber moved temporarily to the Senate of Canada Building (the former Government Conference Centre on Rideau Street) in 2018 during the renovation of the Centre Block. The Speaker receives a salary of about $304,000 (2025), about $148,000 above the basic senator's salary.