Richard Martel is leaving the Conservative caucus after being named to the Senate, as Prime Minister Mark Carney makes his first picks to the Upper Chamber.

Martel was one of four appointments announced on Tuesday, alongside Tom Pitfield, Carney’s former principal secretary. Rodney Ouellette of New Brunswick and Manitoba’s Geeta Tucker are also headed to the red chamber.

The Globe and Mail first reported news of Pitfield’s appointment.

In a statement, Carney said he was modifying the existing criteria for Senate appointments by dropping the non-partisanship requirement and prioritizing candidates with “expertise in key Canadian strategic industries, regulatory frameworks, and emerging social and economic affairs.”

He said removing the non-partisanship rule recognizes the “valuable contributions made by Canadians who have chosen to serve in elected office or in other partisan roles, including knowledge of the governing and legislative processes, which will contribute to a stronger, more effective Senate.”

Over the past months, the Liberals have bristled at what they’ve as the Senate’s overreach in rewriting government legislation and slow pace in handling key bills, as iPolitics first reported.

Specifically, government sources cited the Senate’s rejected amendments to changes to rules regulating political parties that were supported by the Liberals, Conservatives and New Democrats, and delays in passing legislation overhauling bail laws backed by the premiers and police chiefs.

Martel was long rumoured as a potential Conservative floor-crosser, but Liberal and government sources said that was never a strong possibility, and it was more likely Martel would resign.

A government source, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters, said all of the appointees would be named as Independents, and wouldn’t form the basis of a long-rumoured government Senate caucus.

These are Carney’s first appointments to the Senate since becoming prime minister in March 2025.

More to come…

An earlier version of this story said Carney had informed Pierre Poilievre of the appointment on Tuesday, but it was actually Martel who attempted to inform the leader.