Sen. Mary Jane McCallum of Manitoba is now part of the Conservatives’ Senate caucus — making her the second senator appointed by former prime minister Justin Trudeau to join the party this month.
McCallum, who is Cree and a member of the Barren Lands First Nation, said she made the decision to join the Conservatives after consulting with chiefs and community leaders.
“I feel strongly that this is a crucial step in building bridges,” she said in a statement on Tuesday.
“Our communities have long sought opportunities for greater collaboration and mutual understanding. By joining the Senate Conservative caucus, I hope to help broaden the conversation and ensure Indigenous perspectives are reflected across the full political spectrum.”
McCallum was appointed to the upper chamber in 2017 by Trudeau. She is the second senator appointed by the Liberal prime minister to join the Conservatives this month. New Brunswick Sen. David Richards joined the Conservative fold last week.
McCallum and Richards — who both had been sitting as non-affiliated senators — join the Conservative caucus as its numbers have been dwindling in recent years.
With the addition of McCallum, the Conservatives now have 13 members in the red chamber. But the Conservatives are still the smallest group in the Senate.
The current standings in the Senate now sit at 46 senators in the Independent Senators Group, 21 in the Canadian Senators Group, 18 in the Progressive Senate Group and six non-affiliated senators, with one seat left to fill.
Canadian senators must retire when they turn 75, which means that already small caucus will shrink later this year when Conservative Quebec Sen. Judith Seidman retires in September and Richards retires the following month.
Newfoundland and Labrador Conservative Sen. Elizabeth Marshall is slated to retire in September of next year and Ontario Sen. Salma Ataullahjan’s retirement date is set for April 2027.
Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Sen. Leo Housakos, said McCallum is a “principled leader and a tireless advocate for Canada’s Indigenous communities.”
“Her expertise and unique perspective will be invaluable as we work to strengthen the Senate’s role as a forum for open debate, diversity of thought, rigorous accountability and meaningful dialogue reflective of all Canadians,” Housakos said in a statement on Tuesday.
CBC News asked Housakos’s office if the Conservatives have been actively trying to recruit senators.
“We believe that having a diverse and growing membership is vital to ensuring the health and effectiveness of the Opposition in the Senate. A strong Opposition is essential to upholding the Senate’s role as a chamber of sober second thought,” a statement from his office said in response.
