Canadian Senators Group
Canadian Senators Group Groupe des sénateurs canadiens | |
|---|---|
| Interim Leader | Scott Tannas |
| Interim Deputy Leader | Josée Verner |
| Founded | November 4, 2019 |
| Split from | Independent Senators Group, Conservative Party of Canada |
| Ideology | Non-partisan Technical group |
| Seats in the Senate | 13 / 105 |
The Canadian Senators Group (Template:Lang-fr) is a parliamentary group of senators in the Senate of Canada founded on November 4, 2019, by eight senators from the Independent Senators Group, two from the Conservative Party of Canada's Senate caucus, and one non-affiliated senator.[1] The group named Scott Tannas as its interim leader and Josée Verner as interim deputy leader, though the actual caucus leadership roles and role titles have yet to be announced.[2]
History
The caucus was formed on November 4, 2019.
In an interview with CTV News' Don Martin, Tannas admitted that there was no question that the motivation for him and at least several other senators to depart the ISG was a perceived lack of independence in the contentious spring 2019 legislation related to west coast oil tanker moratoriums and other oil and gas-related legislation.[2] Additionally, Tannas cited the concern that following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's radical overhaul of the Canadian Senate, there was the concern that the ISG, numbering 58 Senators, had become too large, and that a diversity of voices was needed in order to prevent a "tyranny of the majority."[2] In addition, in an effort to avoid Groupthink, CSG interim leader Senator Scott Tannas announced that the initial founding members of the group had agreed to cap membership in the group to no more than 25 members.[3][4] Also included among the reasons for the founding of a second, non-partisan, and independent Senate caucus was a perennially renewed effort to focus on regional issues, despite this notionally being the constitutionally-enshrined purpose of the Senate as a whole.[4][3]
Included among those decamping to the Canadian Senators Group was former ISG Senator Elaine McCoy, who previously served as the ISG's founding Facilitator (September 27, 2016 – September 25, 2017) prior to the selection of that group's current Facilitator Yuen Pau Woo.[5]
On November 18, 2019. two more senators joined the CSG: Percy Downe, formerly of the Progressive Senate Group and Senate Liberal Caucus; and Jean-Guy Dagenais, a Conservative. Downe felt uncomfortable with the centre-left stance associated with the Progressive Senate Group. While, Dagenais cited disagreements with the leadership of Andrew Scheer and the "low importance" attached to Quebec voters by party leadership as the reasons for his defection.[6][7]
Leadership
- Interim Leader
- Scott Tannas (November 4, 2019 – present)
- Interim Deputy Leader
- Josée Verner (November 4, 2019 – present)
Membership
| Name[1] | Province (Division)[8] | Former political affiliation[9] |
|---|---|---|
| Doug Black | Alberta | Independent Senators Group |
| Robert Black | Ontario | Independent Senators Group |
| Larry Campbell | British Columbia | Independent Senators Group |
| Jean-Guy Dagenais | Quebec (Victoria) | Conservative |
| Percy Downe | Prince Edward Island | Progressive Senate Group |
| Stephen Greene | Nova Scotia (Halifax - The Citadel) | Independent Senators Group |
| Diane Griffin | Prince Edward Island | Independent Senators Group |
| Elaine McCoy | Alberta | Independent Senators Group |
| David Richards | New Brunswick | Non-affiliated |
| Scott Tannas | Alberta | Conservative |
| Josée Verner | Quebec (Montarville) | Independent Senators Group |
| Pamela Wallin | Saskatchewan | Independent Senators Group |
| Vernon White | Ontario | Conservative |
See also
References
- ^ a b Flanagan, Ryan (4 November 2019). "11 senators break away to form new Canadian Senators Group". CTV News. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
- ^ a b c Martin, Don (4 November 2019). "Tannas on Wexit and Western Alienation". Power Play with Don Martin. CTV News. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
- ^ a b "New Senate group forms to push regional interests in a fractured Parliament". Red Deer Advocate. The Canadian Press. 4 November 2019. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
- ^ a b Jesse Snyder; Brian Platt (4 November 2019). "New Senate bloc looking to protect 'regional interests' could hamper Trudeau's efforts to pass legislation". National Post. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
- ^ "Senators List". Senate of Canada. August 25, 2019. Archived from the original on August 25, 2019. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
{{cite web}}:|archive-date=/|archive-url=timestamp mismatch; August 1, 2019 suggested (help) - ^ Tasker, John Paul (18 November 2019). "Two more senators defect to upstart group, one citing Scheer's leadership". CBC News. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
- ^ "Senator leaves Conservative caucus citing Scheer's socially conservative views | CTV News".
- ^ Juric, Sam (4 November 2019). "P.E.I.'s Diane Griffin named to Canadian Senators Group". CBC News. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Senators List". Senate of Canada. August 25, 2019. Archived from the original on August 25, 2019. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
{{cite web}}:|archive-date=/|archive-url=timestamp mismatch; August 1, 2019 suggested (help)
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