The Conservative government has failed in its bid to push through a bill that would have limited senator terms to eight years.
The bill required unanimous support in order to pass in the House, but the opposition parties denied the Conservative plan to send the bill directly to the Senate for approval.
The failed bill comes amid renewed partisan jostling in the Parliament.
On Tuesday, the Conservatives used the Senate to block a private member's bill dealing with climate change. The move triggered bitter complaints from opposition parties, who said the Senate should not be used to kill bills approved by the democratically-elected House of Commons.
However, the Conservatives said it was actually a Liberal mistake that resulted in the bill being killed on Tuesday.
Senator Marjory LeBreton said the Tories wanted to put the bill on hold until they were ready to debate it, but the Liberals forced a vote on the bill's second reading, and the Conservatives defeated it.
Unanimous consent is required when a decision is made to change the rules that govern Parliament.
When unanimous consent is sought, the Speaker of the House watches closely for any dissenting voice. If a single MP dissents, unanimous consent is not achieved.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservative government has long complained about the fact senators are appointed to the Red Chamber until they reach the age of 75.
Harper's so-far unfulfilled election promise to revamp the Senate has long provided ammunition to the opposition parties, particularly when he appointed Conservative senators, triggering accusations of hypocrisy.
NDP Leader Jack Layton said the Conservative gambit Thursday was simply a ploy to deflect attention away from this week's climate change flap.
"They are into the game of cynical stunts," said Layton, whose party advocates the abolishment of the Senate.
"They are simply trying to divert attention from the most undemocratic act we have seen from Stephen Harper because he specifically said he would never use his stacked appointed senators to frustrate the will of ... the democratically elected House of Commons."
Liberal MP Dominic Leblanc echoed those concerns and said Harper has hypocritically stuffed the Senate with members of his own party.
Still, House Leader John Baird said that the eight-year terms would have been a "good start" in a longer process to make senators more accountable and effective.
