Wanted: one P.E.I. senator

Two Islanders named to federal advisory board to help fill vacant Senate seat

Two Prince Edward Islanders have been appointed to a federal advisory board that will help fill P.E.I.’s vacant Senate seat.

Chief Brian Francis of the Abegweit First Nation and Island business owner Jeannette Arsenault were among eight provincial advisory board members across the country named recently by federal Democratic Reform Minister Maryam Monsef.

Two provincial representatives were appointed for each province with Senate vacancies that were not part of the first phase of Senate appointments earlier this year. This second phase will now allow individual Canadians to apply directly for the 19 vacant seats in the Senate, including Prince Edward Island’s one empty seat.

P.E.I. Premier Wade MacLauchlan forwarded the names of five Prince Edward Islanders as candidates for this advisory board.

“What the federal government wanted were people with standing in the community who would bring perspective from Prince Edward Island to add to the national committee,” he recently told The Guardian in an interview.

Prince Edward Island has had a vacant seat in the red chamber since Catherine Callbeck reached the Senate’s mandatory retirement age of 75 in 2014.

Having P.E.I.’s fourth Senate seat filled is in the best interests of the province, MacLauchlan said.

“I’ve always been for an invigorated Senate. I believe it’s in Prince Edward Island’s interest to have four senators and to have those positions filled and have them filled by people who will make a contribution to Canadian public policy and represent Prince Edward Island well.”

The advisory board will provide Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with non-binding recommendations on appointments to fill 19 current vacancies and one anticipated Senate vacancy.

Francis has served as the elected Chief of the Abegweit First Nation since 2007. Prior to this, he worked as an education co-ordinator providing guidance to Aboriginal students. Later, he worked in several federal departments, including Veterans Affairs, Human Resources Development Canada and Fisheries and Oceans prior to his election as chief and band administrator for Abegweit First Nation.

Arsenault is co-owner of Cavendish Figurines Ltd., a company started in 1989 in Summerside and re-located to Gateway Village in 1998. Prior to this, Arsenault worked with Statistics Canada for 15 years. She serves on many committees, including the local and regional Entrepreneurs’ Forum, University of Prince Edward Island and the RDÉE Prince Edward Island Inc. She also served as president of the Summerside Chamber of Commerce in 2001.