Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced his first Senate appointments since taking office, naming former Conservative MP Richard Martel, principal secretary Tom Pitfield, physician Dr.Rodeny Ouellette, and executive Geeta Tucker to the Upper Chamber.

Martel, who represented the Quebec riding of Chicoutimi—Le Fjord since 2018, will leave the House of Commons and sit as an Independent senator, according to the Prime Minister's Office.His departure will trigger a byelection in his riding and reduce the Conservative caucus in the House of Commons to 139 MPs.

Alongside the appointments, Carney confirmed a significant change to the Senate selection process by removing the requirement that candidates demonstrate non-partisanship, a criterion introduced under former prime minister Justin Trudeau.

Instead, the government says future appointments will place greater emphasis on expertise in strategic Canadian industries, regulatory matters, and emerging social and economic issues.A new Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointments is expected to be established in the coming days.

The government argues that removing the non-partisanship requirement recognizes the experience and legislative knowledge of Canadians who have served in elected or partisan roles.

While Martel will initially sit as an Independent, Conservative Senate Leader Leo Housakos stated that he would be welcomed into the Conservative Senate caucus if he chose to join it, noting that several former Independent senators have done so recently.Martel's appointment also has political implications for the Conservatives, who now have only 10 MPs from Quebec.He had supported Jean Charest during the party's 2022 leadership race rather than Pierre Poilievre.

The Prime Minister's Office noted that six Senate vacancies remain, with five additional retirements expected before the end of the year as senators reach the mandatory retirement age of 75.