Progressive Senate Group
Progressive Senate Group Groupe progressiste du sénat | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Interim Leader | Joseph A. Day |
| Interim Deputy Leader | Terry Mercer |
| Founded | November 14, 2019 |
| Preceded by | Senate Liberal Caucus |
| Ideology | Non-partisan Progressivism[1][2][3] Technical group |
| Seats in the Senate | 8 / 105 |
| Website | |
| theprogressives | |
The Progressive Senate Group (French: Groupe progressiste du sénat) is a parliamentary group of senators in the Senate of Canada founded on November 14, 2019, by nine senators from the now defunct Senate Liberal Caucus.[1][2]
History
Facing extinction, on November 14, 2019, Senator Joseph Day announced during a press conference that the Senate Liberal Caucus had been officially disbanded, with its current complement of nine members forming a brand new, non-partisan parliamentary group in the Progressive Senate Group, with the hope that the new group would be able to attract additional Senators. Unlike the Independent Senators Group (ISG) and newly-formed Canadian Senators Group, which impose either prohibitions or limits, respectively, on outside partisan activities, there was no mention that the new Progressive Senate Group would have similar limits; however, Day confirmed that, like the aforementioned two groups, the PSG would not have whipped votes, and the requirements of membership included supporting or holding "progressive" political values, support of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and supporting a new relationship with Canada's Indigenous peoples.[1] With this dissolution, as of November 14, 2019, the Canadian Senate no longer had a Liberal Senator for the first time since Canada's confederation in 1867.[1] Senator Terry Mercer, previously the Senate Liberal Caucus chair, was confirmed as the PSG's deputy leader.[4] Senator Percy Downe was named as interim whip/facilitator of the PSG.[5]
On November 18, Percy Downe left to join the Canadian Senators Group. As Downe's departure dropped the PSG's standings below the minimum 9 members required to be recognized as a caucus, the PSG has lost its official status and is ineligible for the privileges associated with being an official parliamentary group.[6]
Unless the group is able to recruit additional members, the caucus will likely lose $410,000 in annual funding for staff and research as well as its right to be represented on Senate committees and procedural rights on the Senate floor.[6]
Leadership
- Senator Joseph Day - Interim Leader
- Senator Terry Mercer - Interim Deputy Leader
Former leadership positions
- Senator Percy Downe - Interim Whip/Facilitator (November 14, 2019-November 17, 2019)[6]
Membership
| Name[7] | Province (Division) | Mandatory retirement date |
|---|---|---|
| Jane Cordy | Nova Scotia | 2 July 2025 |
| Dennis Dawson | Quebec (Lauzon) | 28 September 2024 |
| Joseph A. Day | New Brunswick (Saint John-Kennebecasis) | 24 January 2020 |
| Lillian Dyck | Saskatchewan | 24 August 2020 |
| Serge Joyal | Quebec (Kennebec) | 1 February 2020 |
| Terry Mercer | Nova Scotia (Northend Halifax) | 6 May 2022 |
| Jim Munson | Ontario (Ottawa / Rideau Canal) | 14 July 2021 |
| Sandra Lovelace Nicholas | New Brunswick | 15 April 2023 |
Former members
| Name | Province | Left caucus | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percy Downe | Prince Edward Island | 18 November 2019 | Joined Canadian Senators Group[6] |
See also
References
- ^ a b c d Tasker, John Paul (J.P.) (November 14, 2019). "There's another new faction in the Senate: the Progressive Senate Group". CBC News. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
- ^ a b "One-time Liberal senators rename themselves as Progressive Senate Group". CTV News. The Canadian Press. November 14, 2019. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
- ^ "Our Shared Vision". The Progressives. November 17, 2019. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "One-time Liberal senators rename themselves the Progressive Senate Group". National Post. The Canadian Press. November 14, 2019. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
- ^ "Senators List". Senate of Canada. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
- ^ a b c d Tasker, John Paul (November 18, 2019). "Two more senators defect to upstart group, one citing Scheer's leadership". CBC News. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
- ^ "Meet the Senators". The Progressives. Progressive Senators Group. November 14, 2019. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
External links
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