Trudeau to appoint new senators before successor is chosen – National [Video]

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will appoint a final group of senators to fill vacancies in the upper chamber before he resigns, his office confirmed to Global News on Monday.

Parliament is currently prorogued until March 24 while the Liberals choose a new leader to succeed Trudeau, meaning the Senate and the House of Commons are not sitting and legislative business is on hold. That doesn’t prevent the appointment of new senators, however, and the Prime Minister’s Office says the selection process is underway.

“The prorogation of Parliament does not affect the ability of the Governor General to appoint persons to the Senate on the advice of the Prime Minister,” the PMO said in a statement.

“The Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointments has provided or will provide the Prime Minister with a non-binding selection of candidates to consider for each seat to be filled. The Prime Minister takes his responsibility to appoint senators seriously …