Carney poaches Conservative MP in latest batch of Senate appointments

Conservative member of Parliament Richard Martel asks a question during question period in the House of Commons to Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney is appointing a Conservative MP and a senior Liberal strategist to sit in the upper chamber.

On Tuesday Carney announced the appointment of four people to the Senate and revealed that he is dropping the non-partisan criteria for appointments.

Conservative MP Richard Martel is among the individuals the prime minister has named in his first round of appointments since he took office more than one year ago.

The Quebec MP was first elected in the riding of Chicoutimi—Le Fjord in 2018. In 2025, Martel narrowly won the riding with 34.1 per cent of the vote. The Bloc and Liberals followed closely behind, each with 31 per cent of the vote.

Martel, who has officially stepped down as an MP, is the fifth Conservative to leave his party’s caucus since the last election.

Joining Martel in the Senate is Carney’s chief strategist and a former senior policy advisor to the leader of the Government in the Senate, Tom Pitfield. The longtime Liberal advisor and Montreal native had been serving as Carney’s principal secretary, advising the prime minister on government priorities including artificial intelligence and Canada’s digital economy.

Pitfield’s father, Michael Pitfield, also served in the Senate. He was appointed by former prime minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau in 1982.

Manitoba’s Geeta Tucker and New Brunswick’s Dr. Rodney Ouellette have also been appointed.

“These individuals bring a wealth of experience in the challenges and opportunities facing Canada today, including technology, artificial intelligence, business, finance, health care, as well as regulatory and parliamentary affairs,” the prime minister’s office said in a press release about the move. “Their expertise will strengthen the Senate’s capacity to advance ambitious new legislation with scrutiny and rigour.”

Once the four appointments are confirmed and made official, there will be six remaining vacancies in the Senate. Five more are anticipated by the end of the year.

This is a breaking news story. More info to come.