# Canadian Senators Group

The Canadian Senators Group (French: Groupe des sénateurs canadiens) is a parliamentary group of senators in the Senate of Canada founded in 2019. Its inaugural and current leader is Scott Tannas.

## History

The caucus was formed on November 4, 2019, by eight senators from the Independent Senators Group, two from the Conservative Party of Canada's Senate caucus, and one non-affiliated senator.
In an interview with CTV News' Don Martin, Tannas said that the motivation for him and at least several other senators to depart the ISG was a perceived lack of independence in the contentious spring 2019 legislation related to west coast oil tanker moratoriums and other oil and gas-related legislation. Additionally, Tannas cited the concern that the Independent Senators Group, then numbering 58 Senators, had become too large, and that a "wider range of views and approaches" was needed. In addition, in an effort to avoid "groupthink", CSG interim leader Senator Scott Tannas announced that the initial founding members of the group had agreed to cap membership in the group to no more than 25 members. Also included among the reasons for the founding of a second, non-partisan, and independent Senate caucus was a perennially renewed effort to focus on regional issues, despite this notionally being the constitutionally-enshrined purpose of the Senate as a whole.
Included among those decamping to the Canadian Senators Group was Elaine McCoy, who previously served as the ISG's founding facilitator from 2016 to 2017.
On November 18, 2019, two more senators joined the CSG: Percy Downe, formerly of the Progressive Senate Group and Senate Liberal Caucus; and Jean-Guy Dagenais, a Conservative. Downe said he still supported the Liberal Party but liked the "diversity of views" in the CSG; while Dagenais cited disagreements with the leadership of Andrew Scheer, particularly Scheer's social views and the "low importance" he placed on Quebec, as the reasons for his defection.
On February 4, 2022, Dennis Patterson joined the CSG, departing the Conservative caucus. The "last straw" was disappointment that members of the party weren't condemning the Freedom Convoy.
On August 4, 2022, Larry Smith left the Conservative caucus to join the CSG. Smith clarified that he would remain a member of the Conservative Party.

## Leaders

* Leader: Scott Tannas (since November 4, 2019)
* Deputy leader: Rebecca Patterson (since October 31, 2023)
* Liaison: Percy Downe (since November 20, 2019)
* Deputy liaison: Krista Ross (since December 8, 2024)
* Chair: Gigi Osler (since October 24, 2023)

### Former leaders

* Deputy leader: Josée Verner (November 4, 2019 – May 13, 2021)
* Chair: Robert Black (November 20, 2019 – October 24, 2023)
* Deputy leader: Dennis Patterson (March 21, 2022 – October 31, 2023)

## Membership

| Name | Province (Division) | Former political affiliation | Joined caucus | Mandatory retirement date |
| Mohammad Al Zaibak | Ontario | Non-affiliated | 4 June 2024 | 9 August 2026 |
| Albert Réjean Aucoin | Nova Scotia | Non-affiliated | 30 January 2024 | 4 July 2030 |
| Robert Black | Ontario | Independent Senators Group | 4 November 2019 | 27 March 2037 |
| Sharon Burey | Ontario | Non-affiliated | 21 February 2023 | 4 December 2032 |
| Colin Deacon | Nova Scotia | Independent Senators Group | 11 July 2023 | 1 November 2034 |
| Percy Downe | Prince Edward Island | Progressive Senate Group | 18 November 2019 | 8 July 2029 |
| Clément Gignac | Quebec (Kennebec) | Progressive Senate Group | 25 October 2024 | 7 May 2030 |
| Todd Lewis | Saskatchewan | Non-affiliated | 28 February 2025 | 21 July 2036 |
| Gigi Osler | Manitoba | Non-affiliated | 10 January 2023 | 9 September 2043 |
| Rebecca Patterson | Ontario | Non-affiliated | 12 January 2023 | 15 June 2040 |
| Paul Prosper | Nova Scotia | Non-affiliated | 8 November 2023 | 4 November 2039 |
| Jim Quinn | New Brunswick | Non-affiliated | 8 September 2021 | 25 January 2032 |
| Mary Robinson | Prince Edward Island | Non-affiliated | 3 June 2024 | 3 August 2045 |
| Krista Ann Ross | New Brunswick | Non-affiliated | 10 January 2024 | 30 September 2042 |
| Larry Smith | Quebec (Saurel) | Conservative | 4 August 2022 | 28 April 2026 |
| Scott Tannas | Alberta | Conservative | 4 November 2019 | 25 February 2037 |
| Josée Verner | Quebec (Montarville) | Independent Senators Group | 4 November 2019 | 30 December 2034 |
| Pamela Wallin | Saskatchewan | Independent Senators Group | 4 November 2019 | 10 April 2028 |

### Former members

| Name | Province (Division) | Former political affiliation | Joined caucus | Left caucus | Reason |
| Elaine McCoy | Alberta | Independent Senators Group | 4 November 2019 | 29 December 2020 | Died in office |
| Doug Black | Alberta | Independent Senators Group | 4 November 2019 | 31 October 2021 | Resigned from Senate |
| Jean-Guy Dagenais | Quebec (Victoria) | Conservative | 18 November 2019 | 2 February 2025 | Mandatory retirement from the Senate |
| Diane Griffin | Prince Edward Island | Independent Senators Group | 4 November 2019 | 18 March 2022 | Mandatory retirement from the Senate |
| Vernon White | Ontario | Independent Senators Group | 4 November 2019 | 2 October 2022 | Resigned from Senate |
| Larry Campbell | British Columbia | Independent Senators Group | 4 November 2019 | 24 October 2022 | Changed affiliation to non-affiliated |
| Dennis Patterson | Nunavut | Conservative | 4 February 2022 | 30 December 2023 | Mandatory retirement from the Senate |
| David Richards | New Brunswick | Non-affiliated | 4 November 2019 | 13 May 2024 | Changed affiliation to non-affiliated |
| Stephen Greene | Nova Scotia (Halifax - The Citadel) | Independent Senators Group | 4 November 2019 | 8 December 2024 | Mandatory retirement from the Senate |