In 2014, former prime minister Justin Trudeau removed senators from the Liberal caucus and introduced a process to appoint them based on recommendations from an advisory board.Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press
Two senators appointed by then-prime-minister Justin Trudeau have new affiliations as the new session of Parliament gets underway, including one who joined the Conservative caucus.
David Richards will sit with the Tories, while Farah Mohamed has joined the Independent Senators Group.
Mr. Richards, a prominent Canadian writer, was appointed in 2018 under a process introduced by Mr. Trudeau to name senators without party affiliations.
“I’m proud to join the Conservative caucus and be part of a strong team that stands up for Canadians,” said Mr. Richards in a statement announcing the change.
The move is the first time the Conservative caucus has grown since March, 2013, when Senator Scott Tannas was appointed by then-prime-minister Stephen Harper, according to Panagiota Koroneos, a spokesperson for the Senate Opposition Leader’s office.
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Mr. Tannas then founded the Canadian Senators Group in 2019, which he still leads.
Senate Opposition Leader Leo Housakos welcomed Mr. Richards to the “growing” team, saying in a statement Monday that the caucus is “home to diverse opinions and healthy debate, consensus and co-operation, grounded in common-sense principles, and committed to the important work of a robust and healthy opposition.”
Mr. Richards, who represents his home province of New Brunswick, is one of only three writers to have won the Governor General’s Literary Award for both fiction and non-fiction categories.
He was also a co-winner of the 2000 Giller Prize for his novel Mercy Among the Children, among numerous other awards.
Mr. Richards, who was not available for an interview, has previously been affiliated with the ISG and the CSG, according to the Library of Parliament.
Ms. Mohamed, who was appointed last March and represents Ontario, has decided to join the ISG, according to a Tuesday statement.
In an interview, she said she attended the ISG and met with the facilitator, Senator Raymonde Saint-Germain. Ms. Mohamed said she liked the emphasis on informed debate and discussion.
Because independent senators are not told how to vote, she said she thought it would be a “tremendous asset” to be informed and sit with a group of people who come from many different walks of life.
“I just thought the variety of opinions in a large group would really help me on my journey as a senator, because one of the things we’re meant to do is to reflect Canadian society,” she said. “The best way ... to do that is to understand the opinions of many and the voices of many.”
She added she is focused on economic issues at the moment.
Ms. Saint-Germain said in a statement that Ms. Mohamed has an “unwavering” sense of duty and devotion to the public good.
“She comes to the Senate of Canada with an impressive diversity of accomplishment that is a testament to her strong leadership,” she said. “She is a strategic doer, and she will be a great addition to the ISG and to our institution.”
Ms. Mohamed founded G(irls)20, now called Fora, which looks to empower young women in leadership. She was also the former chief executive of Malala Fund and King Charles III’s charity in Canada, The King’s Trust.
In 2014, Mr. Trudeau removed senators from the Liberal caucus. He implemented a process under which candidates are appointed by the prime minister but recommended by the Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointments.
Some critics of these changes have suggested people who are appointed as independent senators are Liberal-leaning. Some appointees have had ties to federal and provincial Liberal parties.
For example, Ms. Mohamed was director of communications to then-Liberal-deputy-prime-minister Anne McLellan, according to her LinkedIn profile.
The Senate now has 46 senators affiliated with the ISG, while 21 are affiliated with the CSG. The Progressive Senate Group has 18 members, while the Conservative Party has 12.
There are also seven non-affiliated senators, and one vacant seat that represents Manitoba.