The former Auditor General of Prince Edward Island and an entrepreneur in the Atlantic fishing industry have taken their seats in the Red Chamber as Canada’s newest independent senators.

• Senator Jane MacAdam fills a vacancy for Prince Edward Island.
• Senator Iris Petten fills a vacancy for Newfoundland and Labrador.

With these new appointments, more than half of all sitting senators are women.

Senator MacAdam is a Chartered Professional Accountant with more than 40 years of experience in legislative auditing, most recently as the Auditor General for her home province.

“Your wealth of experience in accounting, finance and auditing will certainly be an asset to several Senate committees,” said Senator Marc Gold, the Government Representative in the Senate, as he welcomed her to the Senate on June 6.

He further noted her focus on climate change policy and social assistance supports.

“At the Senate, you will continue to play an important role in overseeing studies and legislation in these areas, as there remains much more work to be done,” he said.

Senator Petten was sworn in on May 9. In addition to a long and brilliant career in the fishing industry, Senator Petten has been an active member of her community.

“Senator Petten, your deep roots will prove invaluable in advancing matters of importance to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, but I suspect much of your knowledge and skills of the fishing industry are transferable, and they will surely serve as a boon and an asset to the Pacific and Arctic coastal regions and the maritime challenges that we know they face,” Senator Gold said.

The new senators were appointed on the recommendation of an independent advisory board with a mandate to provide merit-based recommendations for Senate appointments. So far, 68 independent senators have been appointed under the new process.