Carney Converts Conservative MP to Independent Senate Seat, Fifth Caucus Departure

Prime Minister Mark Carney appointed Quebec Conservative MP Richard Martel to the Senate on Tuesday as an independent, prompting Martel's immediate resignation from the House of Commons. The appointment marks the fifth Conservative departure from caucus this Parliament. Martel will fill a Quebec Senate vacancy. The move exemplifies how prime ministerial appointment power can reposition opposition parliamentarians outside electoral competition.