Senator Donna Dasko

Today I asked the new govt. representative in the
Senate of Canada about plans to continue the independent senate. This includes the non-partisan appointment process; something that 7 in 10 Canadians want! Watch here: bit.ly/48su1Cn #CdnPoli

Thoroughly enjoyed speaking to students recently at University Hill Secondary School @uhillsecondary
in Vancouver about the work of the Senate. Mr. Yan’s students were engaged and asked some great questions. Hope everyone has a wonderful summer break!
@Sengage @senindepend.bsky.social

After they invaded #Ukraine, $425B CDN of Russian state assets were frozen by G7 & EU countries & are held by Euroclear. There is a risk is that they may be returned to Russia. I asked the government rep to assure that these assets will remain frozen. Watch here: bit.ly/3SDGMB6

Hudson's Bay has 4,400 artifacts—including the 1670 Royal Charter—that it is preparing for auction. I asked the government how part of Canada’s heritage and indigenous history will be preserved. Watch here: bit.ly/4kRJleY

The 2025 election was a setback for women. My bill S-213 amending the Canada Elections Act is needed more than ever to move us toward more diversity and gender equality in our federal Parliament. Finally, our political parties must be held accountable. #CdnPoli

Photo credit / Crédit photo : Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press

My special guest at the Throne Speech this week was my son William; what a memorable event especially our conversation with #JustinTrudeau. Also great to see former PMs Campbell and Harper - and Margaret Trudeau!

What a thrill to attend the throne speech in our #SenateofCanada chamber with King Charles, Queen Camilla, PM carney and my colleagues. An unforgettable day.

Happy to support you on the Committee!

Amazing panel discussion. I highly recommend it.

Lovely reception
for @cdnwomenfdn hosted by @TDWealth to discuss women in politics & women &philanthropy. Great to see @MitzieHunter CEO of CWF & Cathy Spoel & guests.

Proportion of women in the House of Commons dips, with slight rise in minority MPs While 103 women were elected this week, the same as four years ago, an increase in the number of seats resulted in a lower share of seats

A complete disappointment: even the previously slow pace of women’s advancement in the House has now stopped & Canada falls further in the world. Shame! www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/art...

We’re independent senators.
We’re non-partisan, critical thinkers who serve our communities and our provinces.
We work together to improve bills – and we vote how we choose.
We’re more diverse than ever, both in background and in expertise. (1)

A chart showing the votes, percentages and seats for each party in Canada's election. Headline reads: "Canada’s Liberals Narrowly Miss Out on Majority in Parliament." Source: Elections Canada.

Canada’s Liberals secured 169 of 343 seats, narrowly missing out on a majority in Parliament. nyti.ms/3GM4SGU

Excellent comments on this topic Stan!

Opinion: Canada must lead on supporting Ukraine with Russia’s frozen assets Open Letter: The next Canadian leader should set a powerful precedent against Russian aggression

The world is watching. Global leaders are signatories to this initiative. Russia MUST be held accountable. Canada MUST lead to ensure the US$300B in Russian state assets held in Europe goes to #Ukraine - not back to Russia. We can’t allow a bailout & let Putin's war machine continue. bit.ly/3S0CiUD

Last chance for leaders’ debate to serve the public Will debates remain the most important single events for the public outside of election day or will they become irrelevant as the forces declining trust, and disinformation continue their march

Read my op ed in today’s @TorontoStar. Debates are for the citizens, to assist their decision making, & not to serve the partisan interests of parties or the media’s interest in“sparks”. www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...

Thanks to gr. 10 students & staff at Great Lakes Secondary School in Sarnia for inviting me to speak to them about #senateofcanada and the independent senate. Their questions were well researched and thoughtful. Fantastic group!

The first panel will delve into electoral campaigns and will unpack inclusion/exclusion processes that impact the representation of minoritized populations in Parliament.

With @donnadasko.bsky.social, Valerie Lapointe, @erintolley.bsky.social, and @angeliawagner.bsky.social.

Join us for the next Canadian Study of Parliament Group seminar, entitled "An Inclusive Parliament?", on April 25.

Once again, CSPG's seminar could not come at a better time, with opening remarks from Professor Emeritus, Manon Tremblay.

For more info: cspg-gcep.ca/pdf/2025-04-...

Senators, perhaps more than ever, are holding the government to account and serving as guardrails for any possible legislative missteps.

My full article is available in English, French, and Italian on my LinkedIn, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter) professional pages.

(4/4)

Unlike our friends in the United States where the rule of law is eroding at warp speed and the legislative branch is being bulldozed by the Trump Administration, Canadians should find solace and have confidence in the fact that the Senate remains a strong parliamentary institution. 
(3/4)

In a survey commissioned in 2024, 69% of Canadians want future governments to continue with this process while only 5% of Canadians want to go back to the old ways of appointing partisan Senators. 
(1/4)

www.linkedin.com/pulse/canada...

A poster showing the faces of moderator Ratna Omidvar and panelists Mary Rowe, Doug Saunders, Paula Simons and Zhixi Zhuang. The poster says the free event runs at the Galleria offices of Toronto’s Eaton Centre at noon, April 2

On Wednesday April 2, a week from today, I’ll be in Toronto to join @dougsaunders.bsky.social, Mary Rowe of the @canurb.bsky.social and Zxihi Zhuang of @torontomet.bsky.social for a discussion of migration and its impact on Canada’s cities. #yyz #Toronto #inmigration #cdnpoli #TMU #SenateofCanada

This is a very helpful piece about the benefits to Canada of the independent Senate! A good read!

Thanks to Professors @traceyraney.bsky.social and Peggy Nash. Many thanks to my Senate colleagues @joanmkingston.bsky.social, @kpateonthehill.bsky.social, @senatormartydeacon.bsky.social, @marniemcb.bsky.social, Bev Busson and Lucie Moncion.

With most MPs & Senators away from Ottawa, it was a pleasure to host students from @torontomet.bsky.social studying women in politics, with my @senindepend.bsky.social colleagues, to talk with students about work & life for women in the #SenateofCanada & policymaking.

I’ll have that martinus! Dry, on the rocks.

Prime Minister announces the appointment of senators The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced that the Governor General, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, appointed the following individuals as independent senators to fill vacan...

Happy to welcome 5 new independent Senators to our reformed Senate. And with that, every seat is filled - for the first time in a very long time. www.pm.gc.ca/en/news/news... #cdnpoli #SenateofCanada #Canada

I also wanted to share this timely oped, co-written by another ISG friend and colleague, @donnadasko.bsky.social - on innovative ways for Canada to support Ukraine, using Russian money. #Ukraine #Russia #cdnpoli #SenateofCanada #ISG #Canada @senindepend.bsky.social