OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney is appointing a Conservative MP and a senior Liberal strategist to sit in the upper chamber.
On Tuesday Carney announced the appointment of four people to the Senate and revealed that he is dropping the non-partisan criteria for appointments.
Conservative MP Richard Martel is among the individuals the prime minister has named in his first round of appointments since he took office more than one year ago.
The Quebec MP was first elected in the riding of Chicoutimi—Le Fjord in 2018. In 2025, Martel narrowly won the riding with 34.1 per cent of the vote. The Bloc and Liberals followed closely behind, each with 31 per cent of the vote.
Martel, who has officially stepped down as an MP, is the fifth Conservative to leave his party’s caucus since the last election.
Joining Martel in the Senate is Carney’s chief strategist and a former senior policy advisor to the leader of the Government in the Senate, Tom Pitfield. The longtime Liberal advisor and Montreal native had been serving as Carney’s principal secretary, advising the prime minister on government priorities including artificial intelligence and Canada’s digital economy.
Pitfield’s father, Michael Pitfield, also served in the Senate. He was appointed by former prime minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau in 1982.
Manitoba’s Geeta Tucker and New Brunswick’s Dr. Rodney Ouellette have also been appointed.
Tucker is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and corporate executive with more than 30 years of experience in the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors. Among the firms she’s worked with are Nortel and Shaw Communications.
Ouellette founded the Atlantic Cancer Research Institute and is credited with strengthening cancer research in Canada and advancing precision medicine. Among the organizations he’s worked with are the Terry Fox Research Institute, and the Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network.
Senators in Canada are appointed by the Governor General, on the advice of the prime minister. Once appointed, they are expected to scrutinize legislation, probe pressing national issues, and represent their respective regional and demographic interests.
“These individuals bring a wealth of experience in the challenges and opportunities facing Canada today, including technology, artificial intelligence, business, finance, health care, as well as regulatory and parliamentary affairs,” the prime minister’s office said in a press release about the move. “Their expertise will strengthen the Senate’s capacity to advance ambitious new legislation with scrutiny and rigour.”
Once the four appointments are confirmed and made official, there will be six remaining vacancies in the Senate. Five more are anticipated by the end of the year.
Alongside the new appointments, and in recognition of the outstanding and upcoming vacancies, the prime minister also announced changes to the Senate appointment process, including a clear departure from former prime minister Justin Trudeau’s attempts to de-politicize the process.
The release issued Tuesday explicitly states “the government is also removing the non-partisanship criterion for Senate appointments.” “This decision recognises the valuable contributions made by Canadians who have chosen to serve in elected office or in other partisan roles, including knowledge of the governing and legislative processes, which will contribute to a stronger, more effective Senate,” the release says.
According to Carney’s office, he’s establishing a new advisory board “in the coming days,” and it will be asked to identify qualified candidates focused on merit, and with an expanded set of criteria.
“Recruitment of candidates with enhanced focus and expertise in key Canadian strategic industries, regulatory frameworks, and emerging social and economic affairs will be an added focus,” the statement reads.
This is a developing story. More details to come...
