Some senators are planning to form a new group in the Upper Chamber, iPolitics has learned, raising questions about the future of decade-old reforms to the institution.

Multiple sources linked Sen. Hassan Yussuff and Sen. Rodger Cuzner — a former long-serving Liberal MP — to the creation of the group, however neither senator responded to a request for comment.

iPolitics is granting the sources anonymity because they aren’t authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

It’s unclear what the motivation is behind the creation of the group and it comes as rumours circulate about Prime Minister Mark Carney’s plans for the Senate.

Some sources suggested that creation of a new group is aimed at supporting efforts in passing Liberal government legislation, potentially unwinding Trudeau-era reforms to bring greater independence to the Upper Chamber.

In fact, that push comes as the Liberals are on the cusp of securing enough seats to form a majority in the House.

Others are questioning if it’s less about forming a government caucus and more the result of internal dynamics in the Senate, blaming the PM’s consistent silence on his vision for the Senate for fuelling rumours.

When reached, the Prime Minister’s Office didn’t offer comment on the developments in the Senate.

Sen. Marilou McPhedran told iPolitics in an email that she was aware of the group, but knowing who the leaders are going to be, she had no interest in joining one “fuelled by ‘bro’ culture.” The senator didn’t immediately respond to a follow-up message asking if this was a reference to Yussuff, Cuzner or someone else.

Another senator, who is not involved in the new group, suggested it was the consequence of a power struggle in the Independent Senators Group, the largest group in the Upper Chamber.

The senator, who was granted anonymity by iPolitics to speak candidly, said Sen. Lucie Moncion narrowly beat Yussuff for the facilitator position in the ISG last fall, creating this potential split. A separate Senate source, who also requested anonymity, said that Moncion and Yussuff tied in the initial vote.

As it’s not a caucus, the ISG doesn’t have a leader, but rather has a facilitator, which helps organize internal deliberations and preparations for members. ISG members are not whipped and are always free to vote their conscience.

Two sources familiar with the Senate suggested the rift in the ISG may be due to the size of the group, which boasts 41 senators.

Nine members are needed to form a group, which comes with resources and seats on committees.

One source, who also requested anonymity to discuss matters, said creating a new, smaller group could offer a better opportunity to land a preferred committee spot.

The senator said the Liberals’ march towards a majority in the House is also motivating discussions around the future of the Senate, raising the possibility that Carney will appoint the leader of the government in the Senate to cabinet.

“I don’t know whether he’s made any of those decisions, but I have a feeling that that that whole piece is being is being used as a potential excuse or incentive for some to move one way or the other way or stand pat or whatever,” the senator said.

Citing senior Liberal sources, The Globe and Mail reported on Monday that discussions are being held on appointing Carney’s principal secretary Tom Pitfield as government leader in the Senate, which would come with a spot around the cabinet table.

There has been no government caucus in the Senate since shortly after Justin Trudeau took over as prime minister in 2015. Trudeau opted to create a purportedly independent appointment process for senators, most of whom joined the aforementioned ISG. Prior to these changes, prime ministers usually appointed supporters of their party to the Senate.

One Liberal source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that era is coming to a close.

“[The time where] we’re not comfortable appointing our friends to things is over. Carney is very comfortable appointing [Liberal loyalists].”

Since the ISG’s creation, several other groups had been formed, including the Canadian Senators Group and the Progressive Senate Group, largely made up of the former Senate Liberal caucus.

The Conservatives are currently the only traditional caucus in the Senate.

While there is no government caucus, the prime minister has appointed a government representative in the Upper Chamber, currently Sen. Pierre Moreau.

The GRO’s team also includes four other senators. There’s Sen. Patti LaBoucane-Benson, the legislative deputy to the GRO. Sen. Iris Petten is the government liaison, while Sen. Pat Duncan is the deputy government liaison. Finally, Sen. Sandra Pupatello serves as chair of the GRO.

Braeden Caley, Carney’s deputy chief of staff, told the Globe in a follow-up story on Tuesday the prime minister had no intention on replacing Moreau.

Caley directed messages from iPolitics on Wednesday to the PMO, which didn’t respond before deadline.

The relationship between the GRO and government has been unclear at times, according to a former Senate staffer, who spoke to iPolitics on the condition of anonymity. While the government representative will attend cabinet meetings, the staffer said it was unclear what level of coordination existed, with the GRO left with little to do last fall as the House slowly trudged through its agenda, passing few bills until the last day.

The staffer noted that Moreau comes from a “more political” background than his predecessors. Moreau is a former Quebec cabinet minister.

Sen. Peter Harder was the first GRO under the Senate reforms.

Harder was succeeded by Marc Gold in 2020, who resigned from the role and the Senate last spring after reaching the mandatory retirement age.

The staffer noted that under Moreau, the GRO team expanded from three to five members, the maximum allowed for the office under the Senate rules.

READ MORE: Unclear when Bill C-4 will return to House as Senate debates deleting contentious privacy section

The Liberals appear likely to gain a majority in the House in the April 13 byelections, but the Senate is a different question.

Despite over a decade of Liberal governance, the lack of a government caucus has made it tough to predict the results of votes in the Senate.

Senators have also not been shy about using their power to make changes to key pieces of government legislation. Most notably, the Senate voted to amend the government’s affordability bill to create a sunset clause on changes that exempted federal political parties from privacy laws.

That change was rejected by the House, and the Senate didn’t insist on its amendment.

Some sources suggested the report of Pitfield’s potential appointment represents an effort to speed up passage of legislation in the Senate, citing complaints from the Liberal government on how senators are dealing with government bills.

Earlier this year, Government House Leader Steven MacKinnon urged Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre to tell the Conservative Senate caucus to “stay out of the way” of government bills on affordability and border security.

When reached by iPolitics on Wednesday, MacKinnon’s office refused to comment.

The senator said the Upper Chamber was efficiently handling government legislation, while proposing “thoughtful amendments and accepting the outcome.”

“I’m a little puzzled by that… the government House leader, others [that] are really all that upset with the work product they’re getting out of the Senate. I just don’t see it.”

On C-4, the senator said the bill was only passed by the House on the last day of the fall sitting, and it was unfair to expect the Upper Chamber to pass it in the one week it had left before adjourning for the six-week winter break.

The Senate opted not to sit that week and rose early instead.

There are currently eight vacancies in the Upper Chamber. Carney hasn’t appointed a new senator since he became prime minister last March.