Prime Minister Stephen Harper has appointed 7 new senators, as of January 6, which will fill vacancies left by five retirements and two resignations. The new appointees will increase the Conservative majority in the Senate. The rest of the Senate consists of 41 Liberals, one Progressive Conservative, and two independents. Since being elected nearly five years ago Harper has appointed 46 senators.
“I am pleased to announce the addition of seven remarkable Canadians to the Senate of Canada...” Harper said in a statement, “All appointees have distinguished themselves in their fields of endeavour and in their service to fellow citizens.”
Although by law, senators are to be appointed by the prime minister, some provinces have committed to electing a nominee for appointment to the Senate.Alberta has allowed people to cast ballots for who they want to represent them as senators. Betty Unger is the first woman elected by a province and then appointed to the Senate. Albertans chose her to fill the next vacant seat for the province nearly eight years ago.
Ottawa Police Chief Vern White is a 24 year veteran of the RCMP, who was on the shortlist to replace Bill Elliott as commissioner of the RCMP. Asha Seth will also fill a vacancy in Ontario. She is a prominent Toronto-based obstetrician and gynecologist who worked at St. Joseph’s Health Centre and opened her family practice in 1976. Seth is also a philanthropist who founded an organization that helps other health-related organizations fundraise.
JoAnne Buth fills the vacancy in Manitoba. She is the president of Canola Council of Canada, which represents canola growers, input suppliers, researchers, processors, and marketers of canola oil and its products.
Norman Doyle fills the vacancy in Newfoundland and Labrador. He represented a St. John’s riding for a dozen years before leaving federal politics in 2008.
Ghislain Maltais and Jean-Guy Dagenais will fill vacancies in Quebec. Maltais is a former Liberal member of the National Assembly in Quebec, and Dagenais is a former peace officer with the Quebec provincial police force who lost his campaign to become a Conservative MP last year.
Most of the appointments are effective immediately; however, White’s appointment will take effect on Feb. 20 and Dagenais must still pass the requirement that Senators own property in their home province or territory before he can officially assume the role.
Six senators will retire this year, four of them Conservative and two Liberal, having reached the age limit of 75. One of the retirees represents Saskatchewan, and another represents New Brunswick. Both provinces have committed to holding elections for future senators, and Harper will wait for them to vote a nominee for appointment into the Senate.
