Progressive Senate Group

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This article is about the Canadian upper house parliamentary group. For the French lower house parliamentary group, see The Progressives.

Progressive Senate Group
Groupe progressiste du sénat
LeaderJane Cordy
Deputy LeaderPierre Dalphond
LiaisonPatricia Bovey
Caucus ChairBrian Francis
FoundedNovember 14, 2019
Preceded bySenate Liberal Caucus
IdeologyProgressivism[1]
Non-partisan[2]
Technical group
Senate
14 / 105
Website
theprogressives.ca

The Progressive Senate Group (French: Groupe progressiste du sénat) is a parliamentary group in the Senate of Canada.[2][1] It was formed on November 14, 2019, out of the now-defunct Senate Liberal Caucus, which had been expected to lose official party status in January 2020, when Senator Joseph Day was due to leave the Senate due to mandatory retirement.[1] The caucus lost official status on November 18, 2019, when Percy Downe switched to the Canadian Senators Group,[3] but regained it in May 2020 after several senators joined the caucus.[4]

History[]

Facing extinction, on November 14, 2019, Senator Joseph Day announced during a press conference that the Senate Liberal Caucus had been officially disbanded, with its current complement of nine members forming a brand new, non-partisan parliamentary group in the Progressive Senate Group, with the hope that the new group would be able to attract additional Senators. Unlike the Independent Senators Group (ISG) and newly formed Canadian Senators Group, which impose either prohibitions or limits, respectively, on outside partisan activities, there was no mention that the new Progressive Senate Group would have similar limits; however, Day confirmed that, like the aforementioned two groups, the PSG would not have whipped votes, and the requirements of membership included supporting or holding "progressive" political values, support of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and supporting a new relationship with Indigenous peoples in Canada.[1] With this dissolution, as of November 14, 2019, the Canadian Senate no longer had a Liberal Senator for the first time since Canada's confederation in 1867.[1] Senator Terry Mercer, previously the Senate Liberal Caucus chair, was confirmed as the PSG's deputy leader.[5] Senator Percy Downe was named as interim whip/facilitator of the PSG.[6]

On November 18, Downe left to join the Canadian Senators Group. As Downe's departure dropped the PSG's standings below the minimum 9 members required to be recognized as a caucus, the PSG lost its official status and became ineligible for the privileges associated with being an official parliamentary group, such as $410,000 in annual funding for staff and research as well as its right to be represented on Senate committees and procedural rights on the Senate floor.[3] Despite the loss of official recognition, interim PSG leader Joseph Day said that the group would not disband, and that it hoped to recruit additional members.[3][7][8]

With Senator Day's mandatory retirement forthcoming in January 2020, on December 12, 2019, Jane Cordy tweeted that her colleagues in the PSG had selected her as the new leader, ostensibly effective that same date.[9] Additionally, it was announced later that day that Terry Mercer would be moving into the whip/caucus chair role, and that Dennis Dawson would become Deputy Leader.[10][11]

On May 8, 2020, Patricia Bovey joined the caucus. Bovey, a Trudeau appointee and former member of the ISG, was the first member of the PSG to not be a former Liberal senator.[12] A week later, on May 14, former Representative of the Government in the Senate Peter Harder joined the caucus. Harder, previously non-affiliated, explained that he was concerned about "majoritarianism" in the Senate and believed that, as part of the PSG, he could be "part of a bulwark against that."[13] On May 21, 2020, Pierre Dalphond joined the caucus, bringing their numbers to nine and thus restoring official party status to the group.[4]

On June 11, 2020, Bovey was named the PSG's liaison.[14]

Leadership[]

Former leadership positions[]

  • Senator Percy Downe - Whip/Facilitator (interim) (November 14, 2019 – November 17, 2019)[3]
  • Senator Joseph Day - Leader (interim) (November 14, 2019 – December 11, 2019)[17]
  • Senator Terry Mercer - Deputy Leader (interim) (November 12 – December 11, 2019)[11]
  • Senator Terry Mercer - Caucus Chair (December 12, 2019 – November 30, 2020)[16]
  • Senator Dennis Dawson - Deputy Leader (December 12, 2019 – May 31, 2021)[15]

Membership[]

Name[18] Province (Division) Mandatory retirement date
Patricia Bovey Manitoba 15 May 2023
Jane Cordy Nova Scotia 2 July 2025
Pierre Dalphond Quebec (De Lorimier) 1 May 2029
Dennis Dawson Quebec (Lauzon) 28 September 2024
Wanda Thomas Bernard Nova Scotia 21 August 2028
Peter Harder Ontario (Ottawa) 25 August 2027
Terry Mercer Nova Scotia (Northend Halifax) 6 May 2022
Sandra Lovelace Nicholas New Brunswick 15 April 2023
Marty Klyne Saskatchewan 6 March 2032
Brian Francis Prince Edward Island 28 September 2032
Margaret Dawn Anderson Northwest Territories 14 April 2042
Clément Gignac Quebec (Kennebec) 7 May 2030
Amina Gerba Quebec (Rigaud) 14 March 2036
Diane Bellemare Quebec (Alma) 13 October 2024

Former members[]

Name Province Left caucus Reason
Percy Downe Prince Edward Island 18 November 2019 Joined Canadian Senators Group[3]
Joseph A. Day New Brunswick (Saint John-Kennebecasis) 24 January 2020 Mandatory retirement from the Senate
Serge Joyal Quebec (Kennebec) 1 February 2020 Mandatory retirement from the Senate
Lillian Dyck Saskatchewan 24 August 2020 Mandatory retirement from the Senate
Jim Munson Ontario (Ottawa / Rideau Canal) 14 July 2021 Mandatory retirement from the Senate

See also[]

Notes[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e Tasker, John Paul (November 14, 2019). "There's another new faction in the Senate: the Progressive Senate Group". CBC News. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  2. ^ a b "One-time Liberal senators rename themselves as Progressive Senate Group". CTV News. The Canadian Press. November 14, 2019. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d e Tasker, John Paul (November 18, 2019). "Two more senators defect to upstart group, one citing Scheer's leadership". CBC News. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  4. ^ a b Tasker, John Paul. "Progressive Senate Group back from the dead as another Independent defects". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  5. ^ "One-time Liberal senators rename themselves the Progressive Senate Group". National Post. The Canadian Press. November 14, 2019. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  6. ^ "Senators List". Senate of Canada. April 11, 2016. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  7. ^ "Shuffle in Senate as Dagenais quits Tories, Downe exits new Liberal group". Times Colonist. The Canadian Press. November 18, 2019. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
  8. ^ Mazereeuw, Peter (November 29, 2019). "Updated: Progressive Senate Group folds, but leader hopes to claw back to official status". The Hill Times. Archived from the original on November 19, 2019. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
  9. ^ a b Cordy, Jane [@SenatorCordy] (December 12, 2019). "Thank you to @SenDayNB for his strong leadership during a time of change in the Senate. I wish him well in retirement. I am honoured that my colleagues in the Progressive Senate Group have elected me to represent them as their leader" (Tweet). Archived from the original on June 3, 2021. Retrieved September 4, 2021 – via Twitter.
  10. ^ The Progressives [@Prog_Senate] (December 12, 2019). ".@SenTMM (Nova Scotia) is our Whip/Liaison and Caucus Chair. #SenCA #cdnpoli t.co/Lnn60EX1mD" (Tweet). Archived from the original on September 1, 2021. Retrieved September 4, 2021 – via Twitter.
  11. ^ a b The Progressives [@Prog_Senate] (December 12, 2019). ".@dennis_dawson (Quebec) is our new Deputy Leader. #SenCA #cdnpoli t.co/JtcPrhfcFn" (Tweet). Archived from the original on September 2, 2021. Retrieved September 4, 2021 – via Twitter.
  12. ^ Tasker, John Paul (May 8, 2020). "Independent senator defects to the Progressives as senators spar over committee seats". CBC News. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  13. ^ Tasker, John Paul (May 14, 2020). "Former government point man Peter Harder joins the Progressive Senate Group". CBC News. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  14. ^ a b Cordy, Jane [@SenatorCordy] (June 11, 2020). "I would like to congratulate @SenPatBovey on her election as the new Liaison for @Prog_Senate. She makes an excellent addition to our Leadership team, and her collaborative style will serve her well in her new role. #SenCA t.co/gD1kpcD9lx" (Tweet). Archived from the original on June 11, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2021 – via Twitter.
  15. ^ a b Cordy, Jane [@SenatorCordy] (June 2, 2021). "Pleased to have @DalphondPierre as part of the @prog_senate Leadership Team #SenCA #cdnpoli t.co/Gg0ScNNSxp" (Tweet). Archived from the original on September 1, 2021. Retrieved September 4, 2021 – via Twitter.
  16. ^ a b Cordy, Jane [@SenatorCordy] (December 1, 2020). "I would like to congratulate Senator @BrianFrancisPEI on his election as the new Caucus Chair for @Prog_Senate. He brings with him decades of experience in leadership and management and I welcome him to this new role. #SenCA t.co/AsWWUa5DwR" (Tweet). Archived from the original on September 2, 2021. Retrieved September 4, 2021 – via Twitter.
  17. ^ The Progressives [@Prog_Senate] (December 12, 2019). "The Progressives announced a change of its leadership today. @SenatorCordy (Nova Scotia) is the group's new Leader. #SenCA #cdnpoli t.co/KkOmAzIYgf" (Tweet). Archived from the original on August 23, 2021. Retrieved September 4, 2021 – via Twitter.
  18. ^ "Meet the Senators". The Progressives. Progressive Senators Group. November 14, 2019. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

External links[]

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