Senators Concerned Over Senate Vacancies, Appointment Delays

Senators in Ottawa expressed growing concern Friday over a rising number of vacancies in Canada's upper chamber, with the appointment process for new members remaining unclear more than a year into Prime Minister Mark Carney's tenure.

There are currently nine empty seats in the Senate, and six more senators are scheduled to retire by the end of 2026. Carney has made no appointments since taking office last spring. The federal government's website also lists 24 vacancies on the Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointments, the body established in 2016 to provide nonbinding, merit-based recommendations to the prime minister. Applications and nominations through the board's website are not being accepted.

Nonaffiliated Senator Marilou McPhedran, who plans to retire this summer, described the situation as signaling the end of an arm's-length, community-driven selection process. "This is the end of senators being appointed through what is largely a community-driven selection process at arms length from the patronage of the Prime Ministers Office," she said. "Its going to go back to cronyism." McPhedran characterized patronage appointments as a more efficient governance method,...