Prime Minister announces the appointment of senators
OTTAWA, ON, March 7, 2025 /CNW/ - The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced that the Governor General, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, appointed the following individuals as independent senators to fill vacancies in the Senate:
- Dawn Arnold, for New Brunswick
- Tony Ince, for Nova Scotia
- Katherine Hay, for Ontario
- Farah Mohamed, for Ontario
- Sandra Pupatello, for Ontario
Dawn Arnold is an accomplished public servant and a valued leader in her community. She brings over 30 years of experience in municipal government, community development, and publishing. In 2016, she made history as the first woman to serve as Mayor of Moncton. She was also previously Councillor-at-Large with the City of Moncton, earning a reputation for transparency and leadership in sustainable city-building, and has served on the boards of numerous organizations.
Tony Ince is a former Member of the Legislative Assembly of Nova Scotia, where he represented and served his community for eleven years. He is a strong advocate for social justice, equity, and diversity, particularly within African Nova Scotian communities. Beyond his political career, he also contributed to advancing diversity and inclusion across the province and Canada, including as co-founder and co-Chair of the Canadian Congress of Black Parliamentarians, where he advocated for Black Canadians' rights.
Katherine Hay is a not-for-profit executive and long-time champion for mental health care for children and youth. Since taking on her current role as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Kids Help Phone in 2017, she has transformed the organization into Canada's only national, 24/7, multilingual e-mental health service for young people. Prior to this, she worked as President and CEO of the Women's College Hospital Foundation, where she led record-breaking fundraising efforts to support women's health.
Farah Mohamed has spent 30 years working alongside politicians, philanthropists, and business leaders to improve the lives of Canadians, especially young people, newcomers, and women. She is the current CEO of The King's Trust Canada, a charity founded by His Majesty King Charles III to help young people facing barriers increase their employability. She is also the former CEO of the Malala Fund and a recipient of the Governor General's Meritorious Service Medal, among other distinctions.
Sandra Pupatello is a former politician, an experienced businesswoman, and an advocate for Ontario's economic growth and development. She is currently the President of Canadian International Avenues Ltd., a management consulting firm she founded following a distinguished 16-year career as a Member of Provincial Parliament. As Ontario's Minister of Economic Development and Trade, she led trade delegations around the world and provided steady leadership through a uniquely challenging economic climate.
These new senators were recommended by the Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointments and chosen using a merit-based process open to all Canadians. Introduced in 2016, this process ensures senators are independent and able to tackle the broad range of challenges and opportunities facing the country.
With the appointment of these five senators, all 105 seats in the Senate are now filled.
Quote
"Congratulations to Ms. Arnold, Mr. Ince, Ms. Hay, Ms. Mohamed, and Ms. Pupatello on their appointment as Parliament's newest independent senators. With their broad range of experience and commitment to public service, I am confident they will make important contributions to the Senate and represent the voices of Canadians from coast to coast to coast."
— The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada
Quick Facts
- The Senate is the Upper House in Canada's parliamentary democracy.
- Candidate submissions were reviewed by the Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointments, which provided recommendations to the Prime Minister. The Board is guided in its work by public, transparent, non-partisan, and merit-based criteria to identify highly qualified candidates for the Senate.
- With today's announcement, there have been 100 independent appointments to the Senate made on the advice of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. All of them were recommended by the Board.
- Under the Canadian Constitution, the Governor General appoints individuals to the Senate. By convention, senators are appointed on the advice of the Prime Minister.
- Once appointed by the Governor General, new senators join their peers to examine and revise legislation, investigate national issues, and represent regional, provincial and territorial, and minority interests – important functions in a modern democracy.
Biographical Notes
Associated Links
- Senate of Canada
- Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointments
- Senate appointments Process – Questions and Answers
This document is also available at https://pm.gc.ca
SOURCE Prime Minister's Office
PMO Media Relations: [email protected]
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