In a strongly worded statement, the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) is demanding that Liberal leadership contenders publicly oppose Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's reported plans to appoint multiple new senators before his upcoming resignation.
According to the CPC, Trudeau intends to fill ten current Senate vacancies with what they characterize as, "Liberal Party insiders and personal friends" in his final days as the prime minister.
The appointments will be for Senators until they reach the mandatory retirement age of 75.
The CPC is directing its criticism at Liberal leadership candidate Mark Carney, calling on him to reject these potential appointments.
The CPC argues that any Senate appointments should wait until after Canadians have voted in a general election, allowing the next government to receive a "democratic mandate.”
The statement frames these reported appointments as part of a broader pattern of governance concerns, particularly focusing on what they view as accountability issues within the NDP-Liberal government arrangement.
The CPC demands come amid ongoing discussions about carbon tax policy, housing affordability, fiscal management, and public safety, which are issues central to their platform for the next federal election.
Constitutional convention allows sitting prime ministers to make Senate appointments at their discretion, though such appointments near the end of a term have historically faced increased scrutiny.
