P.E.I. Senate seat should be filled by end of year

Seven new Liberal-appointed senators were announced today, but none of them are from P.E.I. which means there is still one vacant seat in the province.

• Chantal Petitclerc, Murray Sinclair among 7 new Liberal-appointed senators

The P.E.I. seat has been vacant since July 2014 when Catherine Callbeck stepped down at the mandatory retirement age of 75 after a political career that spanned more than 40 years.

• Retiring senator calls for quick replacement

Libbe Hubley and Percy Downe are currently P.E.I. senators, andSenator Mike Duffyis currently on a leave of absence with pay pending the outcome of his trial. He faces31 criminalcharges offraud, breach of trust and bribery related to expenses he claimed as a senator. Duffy has pleaded not guilty to all those charges. A decision is expected on April 21.

The appointments Friday leave 17 vacancies in the Red Chamber.

If P.E.I. is going to be able to sort of swing its weight in the Senate it needs effective voices there.- Rick MacLean, Holland College journalism instructor

That no new senator was named for P.E.I. isn't a surprise the federal government announced in December the appointments process wouldbe implemented in two phases, onetransitional and one permanent,according the Government of Canadawebsite.

Prime Minister changing tone of Senate

"I think that it's fairly clear that the Prime Minister is trying to change the tone when it comes to the Senate. I think he's trying to make it more non-partisan. I think he wants to take it out of the political realm ... and turn it into I think what people were looking at years ago which is sober second thought,"saidRick MacLean,journalism instructoratHolland College.

MacLean said filling the P.E.I. senate vacancy is important. "Now this isn't a small deal becauseif P.E.I. is going to be able to sort of swing its weight in the Senate it needs effective voices there."

How other Senatevacancies will be filled

The remaining vacancies, including the one in P.E.I., will be filled later in 2016 as part of a permanent process. Enhancements will be implemented to the appointments process at thattime, includinga newly launched application processthat will allow individual Canadians to apply for appointment to the Senate, as well as broader consultations to inform the Independent Advisory Board members.

There will be further adjustmentsto the appointments process that will take into considerationlessons learned and comments received during the transitional phase.

In January, the Liberalsnamed anadvisory board tohelp Prime Minister JustinTrudeaumake his picks for the Red Chamber.

Only three provincesOntario, Manitoba and Quebec are participating in that board right now, the government has said, because they have the most Senate vacancies to fill.

According to the Senate's website,Ontario hadeight vacancies before today's appointments, Quebec six and Manitoba four. Both Nova Scotia and New Brunswick hadtwo vacancies, while British Columbiahadone.

B.C. Premier Christy Clark said in December that herprovince would decline to take part in the advisory board because it didnot want to validate the process. She said B.C. with a total of six senators in the 105-member Senate is under-represented.

• Christy Clark says Trudeau legitimizing unaccountable Senate, B.C. under-representation

Trudeauhad promised to create the advisory body two years ago when he kicked all Liberal senators out of his party's caucus.