Carney appoints Conservative MP from Quebec to Senate, along with principal secretary

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney is appointing Quebec Conservative MP Richard Martel to the Senate, as he announces changes to the appointment process.

Martel, now a former MP, has been serving as the Conservative MP for the riding of Chicoutimi—Le Fjord since 2018. A spokesperson in the Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that Martel will sit as an Independent.

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Carney announced on Tuesday Martel was among four names he was elevating to the Upper Chamber, with another one being his principal secretary, Tom Pitfield.

Pitfield, a digital strategist who worked on Carney’s 2025 election campaign, is also longtime Liberal and friend of former prime minister Justin Trudeau.

Carney also appointed to the Senate physician Dr. Rodeny Oulette and executive Geeta Tucker.

The Prime Minister’s Office announced that Carney was also changing the criteria for Senate appointments, removing the “ non-partisanship criterion” for picks and emphasizing that prospective candidates would be judged on “expertise in key Canadian strategic industries, regulatory frameworks, and emerging social and economic affairs.”

Martel’s departure means there will need to be a byelection held in Chicoutimi—Le Fjord which, before Martel’s byelection win in 2018, swung to the Liberals back in 2015.

His appointment also means that Opposition Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre loses another MP, bringing his party’s seat count in Parliament to 139. Last year, Poilievre lost four MPs through defections to the Liberals.

In a statement posted to X, Senator Leo Housakos, who serves as the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, welcomed the new Senate appointees, calling Martel a “longtime friend and colleague.”

“I look forward to continuing our collaboration and working with all our new colleagues in service to Canadian women and men.”

More to come …

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