Party standings in the Senate of Canada
Members of the Senate of Canada may sit as representatives of a political party if agreed by themselves and their party.
The current party standings in the Senate of Canada are as follows:
| Party | BC | AB | SK | MB | ON | QC | NB | NS | PE | NL | YT | NT | NU | Tot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 44 | |
| Independent Liberal1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 27 | |
| Independent Progressive Conservative2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| Vacant | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | |
| Total | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 24 | 24 | 10 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 105 | |
1On January 29, 2014, Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau announced all Liberal Senators were removed from the Liberal caucus, and would continue sitting as Independents. According to then-Senate Opposition leader James Cowan, the Senators will still refer to themselves as Liberals even if they are no longer members of the parliamentary Liberal caucus.[1]
2The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada ceased to exist in 2003, but Senator Elaine McCoy was appointed as a Progressive Conservative in 2005. As Senate rules state a party must hold five seats and be registered in the last election in order to retain status, she effectively sits as an independent.
Appointment breakdown
| Prime Minister | Term | Cons. | Lib. | Ind. PC | Ind. | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pierre Trudeau | 1980–1984 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | |
| Brian Mulroney | 1984–1993 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| Jean Chrétien | 1993–2003 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 2 | 19 | |
| Paul Martin | 2003–2006 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 10 | |
| Stephen Harper | 2006–2015 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 47 | |
| Justin Trudeau | 2015–present | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 44 | 27 | 1 | 10 | 82 | ||
Upcoming retirements
Twenty-six senators will reach the mandatory retirement age of 75 before the end of 2019:
- Maria Chaput, March 1, 2016, Independent Liberal, (Chrétien) - Manitoba (Chaput does not turn 75 until 2018 but announced her early retirement due to health issues.)[2]
- Céline Hervieux-Payette, April 22, 2016, Independent Liberal, (Chrétien) - Quebec (Bedford)
- David P. Smith, May 16, 2016, Independent Liberal, (Chrétien) - Ontario (Cobourg)
- Michel Rivard, August 7, 2016, Conservative, (Harper) - Quebec (The Laurentides)
- Nancy Ruth, January 6, 2017, Conservative, (Martin) - Ontario (Cluny)
- Wilfred P. Moore, January 14, 2017, Independent Liberal, (Chrétien) - Nova Scotia (Stanhope St./South Shore)
- Jim Cowan, January 22, 2017, Independent Liberal, (Martin) - Nova Scotia
- Bob Runciman, August 10, 2017, Conservative, (Harper) - Ontario
- George Baker, September 4, 2017, Independent Liberal, (Chrétien) - Newfoundland and Labrador
- Elizabeth M. "Libbe" Hubley, September 8, 2017, Independent Liberal, (Chrétien) - Prince Edward Island
- Kelvin Ogilvie, November 6, 2017, Conservative, (Harper) - Nova Scotia
- Pana Merchant, April 2, 2018, Independent Liberal, (Chrétien) - Saskatchewan
- Nancy Greene Raine, May 11, 2018, Conservative, (Harper) - British Columbia (Sun Peaks)
- Betty Unger, August 8, 2018, Conservative, (Harper) - Alberta
- Anne Cools, August 12, 2018, Independent, (P. E. Trudeau) - Ontario (Toronto Centre-York)
- Art Eggleton, September 29, 2018, Independent Liberal, (Martin) - Ontario
- Nick Sibbeston, November 21, 2018, Independent Liberal, (Chrétien) - Northwest Territories
- Colin Kenny, December 10, 2018, Independent Liberal, (P. E. Trudeau) - Ontario (Rideau)
- Ghislain Maltais, April 22, 2019, Conservative (Harper) - Quebec (Shawinigan)
- Charlie Watt, June 29, 2019, Liberal (P. E. Trudeau) - Quebec (Inkerman)
- Raynell Andreychuk, August 14, 2019, Conservative (Mulroney) - Saskatchewan
- Jacques Demers, August 25, 2019, Conservative (Harper) - Quebec (Rigaud)
- Joan Fraser, October 12, 2019, Independent Liberal (Chrétien) - Quebec (De Lorimier)
- Paul McIntyre, November 2, 2019, Conservative (Harper) - New Brunswick
- Richard Neufeld, November 6, 2019, Conservative (Harper) - British Columbia (Charlie Lake)
Longevity
Furthest year of retirement of existing senators, by prime minister
- Charlie Watt appointed by Pierre Trudeau is due to retire on June 29, 2019
- Janis G. Johnson appointed by Brian Mulroney is due to retire on April 27, 2021
- Grant Mitchell appointed by Paul Martin is due to retire on July 19, 2026
- Pierrette Ringuette appointed by Jean Chrétien is due to retire on December 31, 2030
- Patrick Brazeau appointed by Stephen Harper is due to retire on November 11, 2049
See also
References
- ↑ "Trudeau’s expulsion catches Liberal senators by surprise". Globe and Mail. January 29, 2014. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
- ↑ http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/maria-chaput-resigns-1.3433295