Who is Pierre Moreau, Carney's new government representative in the Senate?

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney has picked a veteran Quebec politician who joined the Senate less than a year ago to become his representative in the upper chamber.

Pierre Moreau, who held a variety of cabinet roles in Quebec’s Liberal governments for 15 years, was appointed to the Senate in September 2024. He will be replacing former senator Marc Gold as the government’s representative. Gold bid farewell to the Senate in June at the mandatory retirement age of 75.

“Senator Moreau’s expertise and experience will advance the government’s legislative agenda to bring down costs, keep communities safe, and build one strong Canadian economy,” said a press release issued Friday morning by Carney’s office.

Carney thanked Gold for his “many years of service” standing for the government in the Senate, which Gold has been doing since 2020, and wished him well on his retirement.

The government representative in the Senate is usually the main point of contact between the government and the upper chamber. His main role is to bring forward the government’s legislation in the Senate and shepherd its passage through the chamber.

The representative can also attend cabinet meetings and is responsible for answering questions on behalf of the government in the Senate, according to the Senate’s website.

Even though Moreau is new to the Senate, his experience in legal and political circles spans over four decades. He worked as a lawyer in Montreal before he was first elected in 2003 as a member of the Quebec legislature under then premier Jean Charest.

Moreau was defeated in the 2007 provincial election, but was re-elected in 2008, 2012 and 2014. During those years, he served as minister of intergovernmental affairs, transport, education, energy and natural resources and as president of the province’s Treasury Board.

After Charest resigned in 2012, Moreau was a candidate in the Liberal Party of Quebec’s leadership race to succeed him in 2013. Moreau ended up in second place, after Philippe Couillard.

Couillard would go on to serve only one term as Liberal premier, from 2014 to 2018. His government was defeated over spending cuts that ultimately balanced the province’s books, but paved the way for CAQ Leader François Legault’s first majority mandate in 2018.

Moreau lost his seat that year and returned to practice law, while occasionally appearing as a political commentator on Radio-Canada’s television and radio programs.

Moreau was appointed to the Senate by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in September 2024 and represents the Laurentian region, north of Montreal. He will turn 68 in December, which means he is more than seven years away from the Senate’s mandatory retirement age.

In his maiden speech in the Senate, on June 10, Moreau thanked Gold, his predecessor, for his help and advice in the early stages of his time in the Senate.

“Parliamentarism implies that we can sometimes oppose the ideas of others, even vehemently. However, such opposition must never come at the cost of respect for those who express them,” Moreau said.

“I will therefore draw on your teachings and, like you, I will always keep my door open to talk and discuss with my colleagues,” he added.

Last year, Moreau tabled Bill S-219 in hopes of establishing a “judicial independence day” in Canada each year on January 11. He said current events around the world make it necessary, more than ever, to reinforce the independence of the judiciary in Canada.

“In Canada, it is easy to take for granted that these cardinal rules are part of the founding principles of any democratic society. However, as we know, all democracies are fragile, and Canada is no exception,” he said.

Moreau also claimed in his speech that there are Canadian politicians “who have suddenly and inexplicably thought it wise to criticize the courts and judges and publicly challenge their decisions.”

“The direct consequence of these criticisms and attacks is to erode public confidence in the administration of justice and undermine the authority of the courts,” he said.

Moreau was a member of the Progressive Senate Group caucus until his nomination as the government representative.

National Post calevesque@postmedia.com

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