NDP's Pat Martin's push to defund the Senate goes down to defeat

If you can't beat 'em, take away their money.

The New Democrats, long opposed to the Senate, have tried once again to abolish the upper chamber in an unlikely way — gut it of its funding.

• Senate leaders Leo Housakos, James Cowan repaying expenses, dropping arbitration​
• Auditor general calls for 'transformative change' in Senate
• Senate leaders caught up in AG expenses audit

"It's almost a tradition," NDP MP Pat Martin said Monday before introducing his motion to withhold more than $57 million in funding for the Senate.

The idea dates back to the 1920s, he added.

"Since then, we've regularly moved to block the funding for the Senate. We may be unable to abolish the Senate unilaterally, but we can cut off its blood supply."

According to the Treasury Board, the Senate's budget for 2015-2016 is estimated at $88.7 million. Of this amount, $57 million — which Martin says is for program spending and activities — requires approval by Parliament.

"My view is, we've got to stop giving them money because it only encourages them, it seems," Martin said. 

NDP motion comes ahead of AG report

"I don't know if they will vote against funding the senate, but for God's sakes, how can they look their constituents in the eye and vote to send them another $57 million? Look at how they managed the last pile of money we gave them," he said.

"So, this is the whole point, is we want Canadians to go into this with their eyes open."

Predictably, perhaps, Martin's Conservative and Liberal colleagues in the Commons didn't see eye-to-eye with him on the issue. 

After undergoing several hours of debate, Martin's motion went down to a resounding 178-95 defeat, with the Conservatives and Liberals joining forces to vote it down.

Earlier, Senate Speaker Leo Housakos and Opposition Leader James Cowan announced they are repaying ineligible expenses flagged by the auditor general and will not be contesting the findings before an arbitrator, in a bid to dispel any perception of a conflict of interest.

Housakos, Cowan and Conservative Government Leader Claude Carignan are ultimately responsible for the Senate's new process to handle disputed expense claims, which includes the appointment of an independent arbiter. Housakos announced the appointment of former Supreme Court justice Ian Binnie to that role last month.

The highly anticipated auditor general's report into the Senate's expense claims will be released Tuesday, and will contain details of the contested expenses of 30 former and sitting senators, as well as the auditor general's recommendations for tightening up Senate expense rules.