Page - 145 - in VULNERABLE - The Law, Policy and Ethics of COVID-19

145Ensuring Executive and Legislative Accountability in a Pandemic In examining how some measure of accountability might be achieved in these circumstances, I suggest we ought to pay atten- tion to both the visible and less visible modes of accountability that exist within the political system. Discussions of accountability should include the expert advice provided by civil servants and the infor- mal, “off-stage” negotiations within and between political parties that shape the content of legislation before it is introduced. There is evi- dence that these accountability mechanisms played an important role in tailoring the initial response to COVID-19. The Senate of Canada has also emerged as an important source of accountability during the pandemic. While the Senate has always been characterized (if not viewed) as a chamber of “sober second thought,” changes to the Senate appointments process in 2016 have increased its independence.16 The vast majority of senators now sit either as unaffiliated senators or as members of recognized parlia- mentary groups that are not aligned with the federal political parties. While the Senate expedited the passage of the five pieces of pandemic- related legislation it has considered since March, its committees will play a significant role in scrutinizing the government’s response to the pandemic. Two Senate committees have begun to examine issues related to COVID-19, while a third, special committee on “Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic and Future Preparedness” will begin work “no earlier” than October 2020.17 A group of fifty senators recently penned an open letter advocat- ing for the adoption of a universal basic income as part of the longer- term response to the pandemic.18 In doing so, they seemed to seek an active role in shaping the government’s response to COVID-19 rather than simply reacting to it. This discussion is likely to intensify as the government transitions from the early stages of its pandemic response to a period of active economic recovery. 16. Paul G Thomas, “Moving Toward a New and Improved Senate” (March 2019), online (pdf): IRPP  Study  No 70 <irpp.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Moving- Toward-a-New-and-Improved-Senate.pdf> [Thomas, “New and Improved Senate”]. 17. Government Representative Office in the Senate of Canada, “3 Senate Committees to Study COVID-19 Pandemic” (15 April 2020), online: Senate of Canada <senate-gro.ca/news/senate-committees-study-pandemic> [Senate of Canada, “Committees”]. 18. Kim Pate, “Open letter from Senators to @JustinTrudeau @cafreeland @ Bill_Morneau calls for further evolution of CERB to implement Minimum #BasicIncome #SenCA #cdnpoli” (21 April 2020 at 16:05), online: Twitter <twitter. com/KPateontheHill/status/1252690030595846147>.