Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has made it his mission to transform the Senate into a non-partisan forum, but an outgoing senator believes the Upper Chamber should remain political.

Former Conservative Senator Nancy Greene Raine retired earlier in May. A decorated downhill skier once dubbed Canada’s female athlete of the 20th century by the Canadian Press, Greene Raine was appointed by Stephen Harper in 2009.

Since then, the Senate has gradually drifted away from partisan associations. In 2014, then-Liberal leader Justin Trudeau removed all Liberal senators from the national caucus.

By 2016, the Independent Senators Group was formed, with Conservatives and Liberals joining the coalition. Independents now make up the majority of the Senate.

In an exit interview with Power Play’s Don Martin, Greene Raine rejected the trend.

“You know, politics is partisan. In order to debate you need two sides,” she said. “The debating process brings out both points of view and eventually you come to a consensus -- usually.”

The problem, as Greene Raine sees it, is that potential senators should be people who have a natural affinity for politics -- not those considered neutral.

“I can’t imagine saying we want to appoint senators who have never been involved politically. They’ve gone through their life with their head in the sand,” she said.

She describes the role of the Senate as “kind of like a think tank” in which an advisory council studies an issue and makes recommendations to elected officials.

“And those people should be wise, and I think they should be in the twilight of their career because if you appoint them at 30 they stay until they’re 75, that’s way too long. But that’s their role. And I think it works.”

Greene Raine was appointed by Harper, but she didn’t always agree with his approach to the Senate.

“I think Mr. Harper – and he was a wonderful prime minister and I have a lot of respect for him – but he was so fixated on having an elected Senate. But that’s what they have in the States, and they have gridlock, because there’s two elected bodies and they fight,” she said.

After politics, Greene Raine’s plans to return to her first love – skiing. She’s the director of skiing at Sun Peaks Resort in Sun Peaks, B.C., where her husband is the mayor.

And while she’s moving a few provinces away, Greene Raine says Ottawa won’t be far from mind.

“I’ll keep my eye on what’s happening down here.”