Canadian Senators Group
Groupe des sénateurs canadiens
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| Leader | Scott Tannas |
| Deputy Leader | Rebecca Patterson |
| Founded | November 4, 2019 |
| Split from | Independent Senators Group, Conservative Party of Canada |
| Ideology | Non-partisan Technical group |
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The Canadian Senators Group (French: Groupe des sénateurs canadiens) is a parliamentary group of senators in the Senate of Canada founded on November 4, 2019, by eight senators from the Independent Senators Group, two from the Conservative Party of Canada's Senate caucus, and one non-affiliated senator.[1] Its inaugural and current leader is Scott Tannas.[2]
The caucus was formed on November 4, 2019.
In an interview with CTV News' Don Martin, Tannas said that the motivation for him and at least several other senators to depart the ISG was a perceived lack of independence in the contentious spring 2019 legislation related to west coast oil tanker moratoriums and other oil and gas-related legislation.[2] Additionally, Tannas cited the concern that the Independent Senators Group, then numbering 58 Senators, had become too large, and that a "wider range of views and approaches" was needed.[2] In addition, in an effort to avoid "groupthink", CSG interim leader Senator Scott Tannas announced that the initial founding members of the group had agreed to cap membership in the group to no more than 25 members.[3][4] Also included among the reasons for the founding of a second, non-partisan, and independent Senate caucus was a perennially renewed effort to focus on regional issues, despite this notionally being the constitutionally-enshrined purpose of the Senate as a whole.[4][3]
Included among those decamping to the Canadian Senators Group was Elaine McCoy, who previously served as the ISG's founding facilitator from 2016 to 2017.[5]
On November 18, 2019, two more senators joined the CSG: Percy Downe, formerly of the Progressive Senate Group and Senate Liberal Caucus; and Jean-Guy Dagenais, a Conservative. Downe said he still supported the Liberal Party but liked the "diversity of views" in the CSG; while Dagenais cited disagreements with the leadership of Andrew Scheer, particularly Scheer's social views and the "low importance" he placed on Quebec, as the reasons for his defection.[6][7][8]
On February 4, 2022, Dennis Patterson joined the CSG, departing the Conservative caucus. The "last straw" was disappointment that members of the party weren't condemning the Freedom Convoy.[9][10]
On August 4, 2022, Larry Smith left the Conservative caucus to join the CSG. Smith clarified that he would remain a member of the Conservative Party.[11]
| Name[1] | Province (Division)[12] | Former political affiliation | Mandatory retirement date[5] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mohammad Al Zaibak | Ontario | Non-affiliated | 9 August 2026 |
| Albert Réjean Aucoin | Nova Scotia | Non-affiliated | 4 July 2030 |
| Robert Black | Ontario | Independent Senators Group | 27 March 2037 |
| Sharon Burey | Ontario | Non-affiliated | 4 December 2032 |
| Jean-Guy Dagenais | Quebec (Victoria) | Conservative | 2 February 2025 |
| Colin Deacon | Nova Scotia | Independent Senators Group | 1 November 2034 |
| Percy Downe | Prince Edward Island | Progressive Senate Group | 8 July 2029 |
| Stephen Greene | Nova Scotia (Halifax - The Citadel) | Independent Senators Group | 8 December 2024 |
| Gigi Osler | Manitoba | Non-affiliated | 9 September 2043 |
| Rebecca Patterson | Ontario | Non-affiliated | 15 June 2040 |
| Paul Prosper | Nova Scotia | Non-affiliated | 4 November 2039 |
| Jim Quinn | New Brunswick | Non-affiliated | 25 January 2032 |
| Mary Robinson | Prince Edward Island | Non-affiliated | 3 August 2045 |
| Krista Ann Ross | New Brunswick | Non-affiliated | 30 September 2042 |
| Larry Smith | Quebec (Saurel) | Conservative | 28 April 2026 |
| Scott Tannas | Alberta | Conservative | 25 February 2037 |
| Josée Verner | Quebec (Montarville) | Independent Senators Group | 30 December 2034 |
| Pamela Wallin | Saskatchewan | Independent Senators Group | 10 April 2028 |
| Name | Province (Division) | Former political affiliation | Left caucus | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elaine McCoy | Alberta | Independent Senators Group | 29 December 2020 | Died in office |
| Doug Black | Alberta | Independent Senators Group | 31 October 2021 | Resigned from Senate |
| Diane Griffin | Prince Edward Island | Independent Senators Group | 18 March 2022 | Mandatory retirement from the Senate |
| Vernon White | Ontario | Independent Senators Group | 2 October 2022 | Resigned from Senate |
| Larry Campbell | British Columbia | Independent Senators Group | 24 October 2022 | Changed affiliation to non-affiliated |
| Dennis Patterson | Nunavut | Conservative | 30 December 2023 | Mandatory retirement from the Senate |
| David Richards | New Brunswick | Non-affiliated | 13 May 2024 | Changed affiliation to non-affiliated |
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Italics indicate a parliamentary group that acts as a party in the legislature, but does not contest elections | |
