Chartrand to co-lead Manitoba Senate seat application vetting

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This article was published 25/03/2022 (1359 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA — The Liberals have chosen Manitoba’s polarizing Métis leader to be a kingmaker in the province’s longstanding Senate vacancy.

“I’m not looking at it from a political angle, even though I’m a politician. I’m looking at the different merits,” said Manitoba Métis Federation president David Chartrand.

The Liberals have appointed Chartrand as one of two Winnipeggers who will vet scores of applications for a Senate seat, and come up with a short list for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Chartrand will be joined by Ashleigh Everett, head of Royal Canadian Securities Ltd., who is involved in numerous corporate boards in Winnipeg and nationally.

Ottawa announced this week it will take applications until April 20 for the seat left vacant by Justice Murray Sinclair, who announced in November 2020 he’d step down, effective Jan. 31, 2021.

Manitobans have been able to apply for a Senate seat for years, because the Privy Council accepts applications regardless of whether a vacancy exists, and holds onto those dossiers for two years.

Chartrand said there are roughly 150 Manitobans with active applications, but people can still apply over the coming weeks.

Manitobans and Métis across Canada often see Chartrand as either a rabble-rouser or a principled leader who speaks bluntly.

Chartrand endorsed the Liberals in last fall’s federal election, and was a frequent critic of the provincial PC government’s policies, comparing the character of former Manitoba premier Brian Pallister to that of recent U.S. president Donald Trump.

However, Chartrand said he won’t let his views cloud who ends up on the short list.

“These are independent senators, now; they’re no longer party-affiliated. It may happen to be a Liberal- or a Conservative-minded voter.”

He said Manitoba needs someone who can navigate the complex world of Parliament, and has a good reputation in the province.

“I’m not looking at it from a political angle, even though I’m a politician. I’m looking at the different merits.”–MMF president David Chartrand

Chartrand also said he hopes to pick candidates that can fill gaps in the Red Chamber, understanding themes such as Canada’s military engagement and the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on commodities and exports.

“It will be based strictly on merit and experience, but also what is missing in the Senate so we can make it stronger.”

The Red Chamber plays a key role in protecting minority rights and vetting legislation for regional impacts.

Constitutional experts argue provinces should have their full complement of senators to better vet legislation, particularly in the COVID-19 pandemic, as Parliament enacts unprecedented spending and legislation that curtails civil liberties.

“The Senate is a very powerful entity in this country, and people don’t give it a second thought,” Chartrand said.

dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca