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Carney says he’ll consult Trudeau’s committee on Senate picks
Carney said he will use Trudeau’s independent advisory process as nine Senate seats remain vacant and six more retirements are expected.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said Wednesday he will "take into account" the advice of an independent advisory committee established by his predecessor when filling Senate vacancies, though he didn't explicitly detail how this will shape his decisions.
Former Prime Minister Trudeau created the independent advisory process to curb patronage and remove partisan elements from the Red Chamber; Carney has not appointed a single senator since taking office, allowing vacancies to accumulate over the past year.
Nine Senate seats currently sit vacant, with six more expected to open later this year; the advisory committee itself is nearly empty, containing only three federal and two Nova Scotia positions.
Conservative Sen. Denis Batters criticized the process Wednesday, telling reporters, "That application process has always been fake," and urged a return to traditional, partisan appointment methods.