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OTTAWA — Prime Minister Stephen Harper poured cold water on the possibility of fresh appointments to the Senate on Thursday, in response to concerns raised by Senate Speaker Pierre Claude Nolin about the effectiveness of the upper chamber with so many seats unfilled.

“I don’t think I’m getting a lot of calls from Canadians to name more senators right about now,” Mr. Harper said at an event in Markham, Ont.

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“I would just say that from the government standpoint, we’re able to continue to pass our legislation through the Senate, so from our standpoint, the Senate of Canada is continuing to fulfill its functions.”

Sixteen of the Senate’s 105 seats are currently vacant.

The prime minister, who has not named anyone to the Senate since March 2013, has appeared reluctant to fill vacancies.

On Aug. 23, 2013, for instance, he said, “Obviously we’ll keep an eye on whether the legislation passed by the elected house is able to keep moving. As long as it is, I have no immediate plans” to appoint senators.