Giller Prize-winning author and senator David Richards joins Conservative caucus
Richards, a bestselling author and one of only a handful of writers who has received a Governor General's award in both the non-fiction and fiction categories, was appointed to the Senate in 2018 by former prime minister Justin Trudeau.
"I'm proud to join the Conservative caucus and be part of a strong team that stands up for Canadians," he said in a statement released by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Sen. Leo Housakos.
The party said that since his appointment, Richards has "demonstrated a consistent commitment to core conservative values," including "respect for freedom of expression" and "individual responsibility."
"We are proud to welcome Senator Richards to a growing Conservative Senate Caucus — one that is home to diverse opinions and healthy debate," Housakos said in a statement.
As third-party leader, Trudeau removed all Liberal senators from the national caucus at the height of the Senate expenses scandal in 2014.
With this appointment, the Conservative caucus in the Senate stands at 12. The current standings in the Senate now sit at 45 senators in the Independent Senators Group; 21 in the Canadian Senators Group; 18 in the Progressive Senate Group; and eight non-affiliated senators, with one vacant seat left to fill.
At the time of his appointment, Richards said he was "sitting as an independent man," and that he would "make my own decisions to the best of my ability when I'm in the chamber."
Richards, who was a co-winner of the 2000 Giller Prize for his novel Mercy Among the Children and has received a number of other prestigious awards, including two Geminis for script writing, will continue to represent New Brunswick.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
7 minutes ago
- CTV News
Celtic Ireland Pavilion celebrates 20 years with Folklorama
Dancers at the Celtic Ireland Pavilion on Aug. 4, 2025. (Harrison Shin/CTV News Winnipeg) The Celtic Ireland Pavilion at Folklorama is marking a major milestone. The pavilion is celebrating 20 years with Folklorama this year, showcasing Riverdance-inspired performances by the Brady Academy of Irish Dance and a sound and light show. Items on the menu include soda bread, meat pie, Irish cream mousse cake and pints of Guinness. Dancers at the Celtic Ireland Pavilion on Aug. 4, 2025. (Harrison Shin/CTV News Winnipeg) Dancers at the Celtic Ireland Pavilion on Aug. 4, 2025. (Harrison Shin/CTV News Winnipeg) Organizers say their favourite part of the show is seeing the smiles on the faces of everyone who attends, adding that this year's show is bigger and bolder than in previous years. The Celtic Ireland Pavilion runs at the Fort Garry Curling Club on Archibald Street until Saturday, Aug. 9.
National Post
7 minutes ago
- National Post
Liberal government hikes military pay by up to 20%
OTTAWA — Canadian Armed Forces personnel will get their largest pay increase in more than 25 years, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Friday, part of the federal government's plan to improve the military's capabilities and hit NATO's spending target. Article content Carney said Ottawa will spend about $2 billion on the pay increases because soldiers and other military personnel are at the heart of protecting Canada's sovereignty and their pay should reflect the importance of their roles. Article content Article content Article content The pay hikes, part of a $9 billion federal investment in the Canadian military that was announced in June, mean that every member of the Canadian armed forces will get a wage increase of as much as 20 per cent. Article content Article content 'We are strengthening our military, recognizing their sacrifice, and giving service members the resources, confidence and certainty they need to survive,' Carney said during a press conference at CFB Trenton, the eastern Ontario facility that serves as one of Canada's most important air force bases. Article content The pay hikes includes increases of eight per cent for colonels and above and 13 per cent for lieutenant-colonels and below, and a 20 per cent hike in starting pay for privates in the regular force. Prior to this pay increase, privates' starting salary was barely above $43,000. Article content The hike also includes a new pay increase based on length of military service, which will be part of an effort to align the pay of military personnel with other public servants. There will also be additional compensation to be announced over the next year for those who are asked to make frequent moves, serving in forest fires or natural disasters, in training for combat, top instructors at training schools, or separated from their families. Article content Article content Carney said the pay scale changes, which will affect both regular forces and reserves, will improve military recruitment and retention but that the pay hikes, retroactive to April 1, are also about fairness. Article content Charlotte Duval-Lantoine, vice-president of Ottawa Operations at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, said the pay hikes are an 'unequivocal' step forward because military pay had fallen behind. Article content When asked if hiking military pay was a better use of defence spending than buying equipment, Duval-Lantoine said both are necessary. 'It's nice to have equipment, but what's the point if you don't have enough people?' Article content On the political side, the pay increases satisfy the Liberals' campaign promise to boost military wages, while also moving Canada closer to fulfilling a promise to meet the NATO target that each member spend at least two per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) on defence spending. Carney said Canada will hit that mark this year, five years earlier than previously stated.
CBC
7 minutes ago
- CBC
Take a look behind the scenes at Disney's The Lion King
The long-running musical has returned to Calgary for the third time, and the CBC's Jenny Howe got to go behind the curtain at The Lion King. Here, she speaks with Mukelisiwe Goba, the performer who plays the spiritual guide Rafiki, and Michael Reilly, the puppet supervisor. (Photo credit: Broadway Across Canada)
