Independent Senator Jim Quinn is joining the Conservative caucus, Senate opposition leader Leo Housakos announced Wednesday.Brendan Burden/The Globe and Mail
The Conservative Senate caucus added a member to its ranks a day after Prime Minister Mark Carney moved to appoint one of his closest allies to the chamber.
Leo Housakos, the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, announced that independent Senator Jim Quinn is joining the Conservative Senate caucus.
“Senator Quinn’s decades of public service, leadership and commitment to New Brunswick will make him a tremendous asset to our team,” Mr. Housakos said in a statement on Wednesday.
Mr. Quinn was appointed in 2021 under the system for non-partisan appointments set up by then-prime minister Justin Trudeau – a system Mr. Carney is now changing.
On Tuesday, the Prime Minister officially dropped “non-partisanship” as a criterion for Senate appointees. At the same time, he appointed veteran Liberal strategist Tom Pitfield, who was also his principal secretary, to the chamber.
In addition to naming Mr. Pitfield to the Senate, Mr. Carney appointed Richard Martel who, until Tuesday, was a Conservative MP, as well as New Brunswick’s Dr. Rodney Ouellette and Manitoba’s Geeta Tucker, a corporate executive.
Carney scraps Trudeau-era non-partisanship policy as he appoints aide, Tory MP to Senate
He pushed back at questions from reporters in Turkey on Wednesday regarding whether the appointment was a reward for Mr. Pitfield’s role in the party’s successful 2025 election campaign.
“Absolutely not,” Mr. Carney said.
He described Mr. Pitfield as an entrepreneur and a philanthropist with deep knowledge of technology.
“We look at the Senate as a whole and what the competencies are – and obviously familiarity with government, familiarity with legislative processes and other things are helpful, but we want some core competencies in there as well,” Mr. Carney said.
“And where the Senate is more deficient and there are people who are willing to serve, I’m very pleased that they are.”
According to his official biography, Mr. Quinn spent 23 years with the Canadian Coast Guard before joining the Privy Council Office – the civil servants entrusted with delivering on a prime minister’s agenda.
He worked in the machinery of government secretariat – the group inside the PCO focused on the organizational elements of government.
He also held senior roles in other government departments and later became the president and chief executive officer of the Saint John Port Authority.
Mr. Quinn was formerly a member of the Canadian Senators Group, one of several groupings of independent senators.
Campbell Clark: Carney opens the Senate doors wider to partisans
The system of groups sprang up after Mr. Trudeau, while Liberal leader, kicked all of the Liberal senators out of his caucus. The move was in response to the Senate expenses scandal.
When he became prime minister, he set up a new appointments process as well.
It included listing “non-partisanship” as one of the criteria for appointment. He also established an independent advisory board to recommend people for Senate positions, in addition to applications being accepted from the public.
Mr. Carney said he will still look to a board for recommendations but will be more precise with the candidates he is seeking and look for those whose areas of expertise align with the government’s agenda.
Since Mr. Trudeau’s changes, all senators are appointed as independents but can join a recognized group if they like.
There are four such groups in the Senate, as well as the Conservative caucus. There is also the Government Representative’s Office, a group of six senators whose role is to shepherd government bills through the chamber.
Senator Lucie Moncion, who is the facilitator of the Independent Senators Group, the largest in the Senate, said the chamber’s independence remains crucial.
“The merit-based appointment process has demonstrated the value of a chamber composed of individuals with a diversity of expertise, regional perspectives, and a solid commitment to public service, regardless of prior partisan affiliation,” she said in a statement to The Globe and Mail.
Ms. Moncion said people who have political backgrounds can fulfill their responsibilities in a manner consistent with a modern Senate.
“Ultimately, independence is reflected in how senators carry out their duties, approaching their work with integrity, impartiality, and a commitment to serving Canadians,” she said.
Senator Brian Francis, the leader of the Progressive Senate Group, said he is proud of the work being accomplished by its members.
“It is the Prime Minister’s prerogative to determine how to name senators; my focus is on continuing to work collaboratively with all colleagues on behalf of Canadians,” he said in a statement to The Globe.