Trudeau taps Quebec senator as Liberal government’s new rep in upper chamber

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is tapping Sen. Marc Gold, a constitutional law expert and former chair of the Jewish Federations of Canada, to serve as the Liberal government’s representative in the upper chamber.

The Quebec senator replaces Sen. Peter Harder, who announced he was stepping down from the role in November after three years in the position to allow for some new blood.

Harder remains a senator.

Gold was appointed to the Senate by Trudeau in November 2016 and has sat as a member of the Independent Senators Group.

As Trudeau’s representative in the upper chamber, Gold will be responsible for advancing the Liberal government’s legislative agenda in the Senate, where the majority of Canada’s 105 senators are unaffiliated with any of the major parties.

Harder’s dual role as a nominally Independent senator who handled the Liberal government’s business had come under criticism from the remaining Conservative senators.

“Senator Gold’s long record of personal and professional achievement, together with his commitment to promoting human rights and Canada’s regional diversity, will help us find common ground in the Senate as we invest in and protect our communities, create good middle class jobs, and fight climate change,” Trudeau said in a statement.

“I look forward to working with him to build a better Canada for all Canadians.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 24, 2020.

The Canadian Press