A new faction may soon emerge in Canada’s Senate, sources tell me, and it could fundamentally reshape how the Upper Chamber operates after a decade of independence reforms.
Two senators are quietly working to create a sixth group in the Senate. Multiple sources point to Hassan Yussuff and Rodger Cuzner, a former Liberal MP who served multiple terms in the House, as the architects behind this move. Neither senator agreed to speak on the record, and I’m protecting source identities because they aren’t authorized to discuss internal Senate matters publicly.
What drives this push remains murky. Some insiders suggest the group aims to help pass Liberal legislation more smoothly. Others blame it on friction inside the Independent Senators Group, which has grown to 41 members and dominates the Upper Chamber. A third theory ties it to Prime Minister Mark Carney’s silence about his vision for Senate operations.
The Prime Minister’s Office declined to comment when I reached out for clarity.
Senator Marilou McPhedran confirmed she knew about the group but said she wouldn’t join anything driven by what she called “bro culture.” She didn’t clarify whether that referenced Yussuff, Cuzner, or others involved. McPhedran didn’t respond to my follow-up questions.
Internal power struggles may explain the timing. One senator told me Lucie Moncion narrowly defeated Yussuff for the facilitator role in the ISG last fall. Another source said the initial vote ended in a tie. The ISG doesn’t elect a leader because it’s not a caucus. Instead, a facilitator coordinates preparation and internal debate, but members always vote according to their conscience without party pressure.
The ISG’s size creates problems. With 41 senators, competition for committee seats has intensified. A smaller group could offer better positioning for preferred assignments, according to two Senate sources. Only nine members are needed to form an official group, which comes with resources and guaranteed committee representation.
The Liberal march toward a House majority also fuels Senate speculation. One senator suggested Carney might appoint a government leader in the Senate to cabinet, reversing years of Trudeau-era independence. That senator requested anonymity to discuss sensitive matters openly.
The Globe and Mail reported senior Liberals are considering Tom Pitfield, Carney’s principal secretary, for the government leader role. That position would come with a cabinet seat, representing a dramatic shift from current arrangements.
Justin Trudeau ended the Senate Liberal caucus shortly after becoming prime minister in 2015. He introduced an independent appointment process meant to reduce partisanship. Most new senators joined the ISG. Before those reforms, prime ministers routinely appointed party supporters to fill vacancies.
One Liberal source told me that era is finished. Carney feels comfortable appointing loyalists again, the source said. That source also requested anonymity.
Several groups now operate in the Senate alongside the ISG. The Canadian Senators Group and the Progressive Senate Group exist, though the latter no longer includes any original members from the former Liberal Senate caucus. Conservatives maintain the only traditional party caucus in the Upper Chamber.
Currently, Pierre Moreau serves as government representative in the Senate, a role created to replace the old government leader position. Moreau leads a team of four other senators who help coordinate government business. Patti LaBoucane-Benson serves as legislative deputy. Iris Petten is the government liaison, with Pat Duncan as deputy liaison. Sandra Pupatello chairs the team.
Braeden Caley, Carney’s deputy chief of staff, told the Globe that Moreau isn’t going anywhere. Caley directed my questions to the PMO, which didn’t respond before my deadline.
The relationship between Moreau’s office and government remains somewhat unclear, according to a former Senate staffer I spoke with. While the government representative attends cabinet meetings, coordination levels vary. Last fall, Moreau’s team had little to do as the House slowly processed bills, passing few until the final sitting day.
Moreau brings more political experience than his predecessors, the staffer noted. He served in Quebec’s provincial cabinet before his Senate appointment. Peter Harder was the first government representative under Trudeau’s reforms. Marc Gold succeeded Harder in 2020 and resigned last spring upon reaching mandatory retirement age.
Moreau expanded the government representative team from three to five members, the maximum allowed under Senate rules.
Liberals will likely secure a House majority in the April 13 byelections. The Senate presents a different challenge. Over a decade of Liberal governance hasn’t produced a reliable government voting bloc in the Upper Chamber.
Senators regularly amend key government legislation. Most notably, they voted to sunset privacy law exemptions for federal political parties in the affordability bill. The House rejected that amendment, and senators didn’t push back.
Some sources suggest the Pitfield appointment story reflects Liberal frustration with Senate handling of government bills. Earlier this year, Government House Leader Steven MacKinnon urged Pierre Poilievre to tell Conservative senators to stop blocking affordability and border security legislation. MacKinnon’s office wouldn’t comment when I followed up Wednesday.
One senator I spoke with defended the Upper Chamber’s work. Senators propose thoughtful amendments and accept House decisions, the senator said. The criticism puzzles them.
On the affordability bill, the senator noted the House only passed it on the last sitting day before the winter break. Expecting the Senate to rush it through in one week was unrealistic. The Senate chose not to sit that final week and adjourned early instead.
Eight Senate seats currently sit vacant. Carney hasn’t appointed anyone since becoming prime minister last March. Those vacancies give him significant power to reshape the institution, whether through independent appointments or a return to partisan selection.
The Senate’s future direction remains uncertain as these discussions unfold behind closed doors. Will Carney embrace the independence model his predecessor championed, or will he restore a more traditional government presence in the Upper Chamber? The formation of this potential sixth group may provide the first real answer to that question.
