Carney names his principal secretary and a Conservative MP to Senate

Pitfield is a longtime Liberal strategist who has served as Carney’s principal secretary since he became prime minister in March 2025. Pitfield advised Carney on artificial intelligence, productivity and the digital economy, according to a biography shared by the Prime Minister’s Office along with Pitfield’s appointment.

Pitfield has been a tech sector executive and consultant outside of politics and is a co-founder of Canada 2020, a progressive think tank. He has been heavily involved in Liberal campaigns, including running digital operations for the party during the 2015 and 2019 federal elections. He is married to Anna Gainey, a Liberal MP from Montreal.

Martel was first elected in 2018 and has served in several opposition leadership roles including Quebec lieutenant under former Conservative leader Erin O’Toole.

In a message on Facebook, Martel said it has been an honour to serve his constituents for the last eight years and he will continue that commitment in the Senate.

Writing in French, Martel said while his role is changing, his commitment remains the same and he will remain accessible and accountable to the community.

Martel’s appointment will trigger a future byelection in the Quebec riding Chicoutimi-Le Fjord. He is the fifth Conservative MP to leave the opposition benches in the House of Commons since the election last year, including four who crossed the floor to sit with the Liberals.

Conservative Senator Leo Housakos said on X that he is “particularly delighted” to welcome Martel to the Senate in a post congratulating all four appointees.

Housakos said in an emailed statement that while it’s become routine practice for new senators to join as independents there is nothing stopping Martel from joining the Conservative caucus in the upper chamber.

“The good news is, as demonstrated by the prime minister endorsing partisanship and our recent recruitments of other independent Senators, there is nothing standing in the way of Mr. Martel — or anyone else — joining our caucus, where he would be welcomed with open arms,” Housakos said.

The Senate does not divide members by political party like in the House, Senators are instead in various groups. This includes the Government Representative’s Office, the Independent Senators Group, Canadian Senators Group and the Progressive Senate Group. The Conservatives are the only Senate group directly linked to a political party.

The removal of the non-partisan section of the Senate selection criteria is yet another Carney policy change from the Liberal government under Justin Trudeau, who established an arms length advisory board for advising the prime minister on Senate appointments.

The goal was to have a more independent Senate after the upper chamber faced criticism that it was a den of patronage appointments and an overly partisan institution. Trudeau also barred senators from sitting with the Liberal caucus in 2014.

Carney’s office said Tuesday a new independent advisory board for Senate appointments will be established shortly.

The four new appointments leave five vacant seats in the Senate with six more senators set to retire by the end of 2026.

A news release from the Prime Minister’s Office said that Carney is putting an “enhanced focus” on Senate applicants with expertise in Canadian strategic industries, regulatory frameworks plus emerging social and economic affairs.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 7, 2026.

— With files from Catherine Morrison in Ottawa

David Baxter, The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

Carney names his principal secretary and a Conservative MP to Senate

What's Happening