Conservatives add another senator to their ranks, boosting caucus to 14 members

Globe and Mail

19 hours ago

Quebec Senator Larry Smith has joined the chamber's Conservative caucus, making him the third person to cross the Senate floor since the beginning of June and boosting the opposition caucus to 14 members.
It's a return to the past for Mr. Smith, who was the Conservative opposition leader in the Senate from 2017 to 2019. In 2022, he joined the Canadian Senators Group, which has no party affiliation, but remained a Conservative Party member.
Newly minted Senate Opposition Leader Leo Housakos made the announcement in a statement on Thursday, praising Mr. Smith's approach, public policy knowledge and work ethic.
'He has always been a strong advocate for Quebec and for common-sense conservative values,' Mr. Housakos said in the statement. 'We are very pleased to have him back.'
The Conservatives also welcomed Senator Mary Jane McCallum, an Indigenous leader, on Tuesday and Senator David Adams Richards, a prominent Canadian writer, last week. Both were appointed by former prime minister Justin Trudeau.
Mr. Richards was the first addition to the Conservative caucus since Senator Scott Tannas, who now leads the Canadian Senators Group and was appointed in 2013 by former prime minister Stephen Harper.
The three moves put the Conservatives in a stronger position in the 105-member Senate, though two of them will retire within the next year.
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Senators are appointed by prime ministers, do not face elections and can serve until they are 75 years old. In order to have a bill become law, it must be passed by both the House of Commons and the Senate.
In 2014, then-Liberal-leader Justin Trudeau kicked all of the senators out of his caucus. He argued that a non-partisan Senate would better serve Canadians, saying partisanship can make the chamber redundant or amplify a prime minister's power.
As prime minister, Mr. Trudeau 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.
The reforms have led to four recognized groups. These include the Conservatives, who are affiliated with the Conservative Party, and three independent ones.
The independent groups include the Independent Senators Group, which has 46 members; the Canadian Senators Group, which has 20; and the Progressive Senate Group, which has 18. While members are part of a group, which provides more Senate resources and privileges, they vote independently. They may or may not be members of a political party.
There are also six unaffiliated senators, and one vacant Manitoba seat.
Asked in an interview if the three additions were part of a strategic recruitment plan, Mr. Housakos said that there is a constant commitment to ensure the Senate's official opposition has the numbers and strength to hold the government accountable.
He continues to speak to senators who have approached him and shown an interest in joining the caucus, he said.
He did not indicate how many senators that is, but said that between now and the end of the year, there would be a 'good handful of senators that are seriously considering it.'
The latest three recruits are long-time colleagues of Mr. Housakos, who said discussions about their joining took place over an extended period of time.
Mr. Richards, while appointed by Mr. Trudeau, has always had centre-right values, Mr. Housakos said.
'I was badgering Senator Richards for two years to join the group that best fits is his ideological leanings,' he said.
Mr. Housakos said Ms. McCallum told him that the Conservatives consistently did what they said they were going to and were open to her views. Ms. McCallum, who was unavailable for an interview, was a part of the Independent Senators Group before becoming unaffiliated in 2022.
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Mr. Smith said Mr. Housakos, whom he considers a friend, approached him about joining the Conservatives several months ago. After thinking about it, he decided to end his Senate career with the caucus he had first started with. He turns 75 next April.
'We sat down and chatted, and I gave it about three or four months thought,' Mr. Smith said in an interview. 'And I said, 'Hey, how am I going to end it?' I want to end it back where I started with people that I grew up with in the Senate. So it's been a great experience.'
The Conservatives had 11 senators when Mr. Housakos became Senate Opposition Leader last month. The threshold for having recognized status in the Senate as either a party or a parliamentary group is nine senators, according to the rules.
The Globe and Mail asked Mr. Housakos if this was about maintaining that recognized status. He said that, regardless of the rule, he did not believe anyone wanted his party shut down as the opposition because of numbers. That said, he acknowledged having a bigger caucus was better than having a smaller one, as it has more opportunities.
'I strongly believe there is not a single person in the Senate – independent senators, government representatives, or anybody alike – that believes that the elimination of the official opposition linked to the democratic house and the 8.2 million Canadians who voted for the official opposition should be shut down because of numbers,' he said.
Conservative senators also have a voice in the national caucus, Mr. Housakos said, which includes members of both chambers of Parliament. They participate in regional caucuses and advisory committees, he said. These are benefits that senators affiliated with other groups do not as independents.