:Progressive Senate Group

{{Main|Senate Liberal Caucus}}

On January 29, 2014, as part of his proposal for a non-partisan Senate, Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau expelled all the Liberal senators from the parliamentary caucus.{{cite news |last1=Cudmore |first1=James |date=January 29, 2014 |title=Justin Trudeau removes senators from Liberal caucus |publisher=CBC News |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/justin-trudeau-removes-senators-from-liberal-caucus-1.2515273 |accessdate=November 15, 2019}} Despite being formally independent, the senators chose to sit together as a caucus, known as the Senate Liberal Caucus (SLC).{{Cite news |last=Wherry |first=Aaron |date=January 31, 2014 |title=Bluffer's guide: What did Justin Trudeau do to the Senate? |work=Maclean's |url=https://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/bluffers-guide-what-did-justin-trudeau-do-to-the-senate/ |access-date=June 7, 2022}}

After the Liberal Party formed the government following the 2015 federal election, Trudeau appointed only independents to the Senate. By 2019, floor-crossings and retirements had reduced the SLC to nine members. As a minimum of nine members is required for official party status, which entitles a group to access to funding and other supports and privileges, the Senate Liberals were expected to lose their recognition as an official Senate caucus on January 24, 2020, when the mandatory retirement of Senator Joseph A. Day would reduce the caucus to eight.{{cite news |author1=Jesse Snyder |author2=Brian Platt |date=November 4, 2019 |title=New Senate bloc looking to protect 'regional interests' could hamper Trudeau's efforts to pass legislation |work=National Post |url=https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/new-senators-group-of-11-could-complicate-liberal-efforts-to-get-legislation-passed |accessdate=November 5, 2019}}

On November 14, 2019, Joseph Day announced that the SLC had been officially disbanded, with its current complement of nine members forming a new, non-partisan parliamentary group in the Progressive Senate Group, with the hope that the new group would be able to attract additional Senators. Day confirmed that, like Independent Senators Group and newly formed Canadian Senators Group, the PSG would not have whipped votes, and that the requirements of membership included supporting or holding "progressive" political values, support of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and supporting a new relationship with Indigenous peoples in Canada. Day, previously leader of the SLC, was named the PSG's interim leader, and Terry Mercer, previously the SLC chair, was confirmed as the PSG's deputy leader.{{cite news |title=One-time Liberal senators rename themselves the Progressive Senate Group |url=https://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/canada-news-pmn/one-time-liberal-senators-rename-themselves-as-progressive-senate-group |access-date=November 14, 2019 |agency=The Canadian Press |work=National Post |date=November 14, 2019}} Percy Downe was named as the interim whip/facilitator of the PSG.{{cite web |title=Senators List |url=https://sencanada.ca/en/senators/#sch |website=Senate of Canada |date=April 11, 2016 |access-date=November 14, 2019}}

On November 18, Downe left to join the Canadian Senators Group. As Downe's departure dropped the PSG's standings below the minimum nine members required to be recognized as a caucus, the PSG lost its official status and became ineligible for the privileges associated with being an official parliamentary group, such as $410,000 in annual funding for staff and research as well as its right to be represented on Senate committees and procedural rights on the Senate floor.{{cite news |last1=Tasker |first1=John Paul |title=Two more senators defect to upstart group, one citing Scheer's leadership |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/senate-defections-canadian-senators-group-1.5363311?cmp=rss |access-date=November 18, 2019 |publisher=CBC News |date=November 18, 2019}} Despite the loss of official recognition, Day said that the group would not disband, and that it hoped to recruit additional members.{{Cite web|url=https://www.timescolonist.com/shuffle-in-senate-as-dagenais-quits-tories-downe-exits-new-liberal-group-1.24011338|title=Shuffle in Senate as Dagenais quits Tories, Downe exits new Liberal group|date=November 18, 2019|website=Times Colonist|publisher=The Canadian Press|access-date=December 5, 2019|archive-date=December 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191215164357/https://www.timescolonist.com/shuffle-in-senate-as-dagenais-quits-tories-downe-exits-new-liberal-group-1.24011338|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.hilltimes.com/2019/11/18/progressive-senate-group-folds/225013|title=Updated: Progressive Senate Group folds, but leader hopes to claw back to official status|last=Mazereeuw|first=Peter|date=November 29, 2019|website=The Hill Times|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191119164539/https://www.hilltimes.com/2019/11/18/progressive-senate-group-folds/225013|archive-date=November 19, 2019|access-date=December 5, 2019}}

With Day's mandatory retirement forthcoming in January 2020, on December 12, 2019, Jane Cordy tweeted that her colleagues in the PSG had selected her as the new leader, ostensibly effective that same date.{{cite tweet |last=Cordy |first=Jane |author-link=Jane Cordy |user=SenatorCordy |number=1205240775308709888 |date=December 12, 2019 |title=Thank you to @SenDayNB for his strong leadership during a time of change in the Senate. I wish him well in retirement. I am honoured that my colleagues in the Progressive Senate Group have elected me to represent them as their leader. |language=en |access-date=September 4, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210603123318/https://twitter.com/SenatorCordy/status/1205240775308709888 |archive-date=June 3, 2021 |url-status=live}} Additionally, it was announced later that day that Mercer would be moving into the whip/caucus chair role, and that {{sortname|Dennis|Dawson}} would become deputy leader.{{cite tweet |author=The Progressives |author-link=The Progressives |user=Prog_Senate |number=1205237257692753920 |date=December 12, 2019 |title=.@SenTMM (Nova Scotia) is our Whip/Liaison and Caucus Chair. #SenCA #cdnpoli https://t.co/Lnn60EX1mD |language=en |access-date=September 4, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210901093600/https://twitter.com/prog_senate/status/1205237257692753920 |archive-date=September 1, 2021 |url-status=live}}{{cite tweet |author=The Progressives |author-link=The Progressives |user=Prog_Senate |number=1205236778954842112 |date=December 12, 2019 |title=.@dennis_dawson (Quebec) is our new Deputy Leader. #SenCA #cdnpoli https://t.co/JtcPrhfcFn |language=en |access-date=September 4, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210902095921/https://twitter.com/prog_senate/status/1205236778954842112 |archive-date=September 2, 2021 |url-status=live}} Serge Joyal's retirement followed on February 24, 2020, further reducing the PSG to six members.

On May 8, 2020, Patricia Bovey joined the caucus. Bovey, a Trudeau appointee and former member of the ISG, was the first member of the PSG to not be a former Liberal senator.{{cite news |last1=Tasker |first1=John Paul |title=Independent senator defects to the Progressives as senators spar over committee seats |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/independent-senator-defects-progressives-1.5561930 |access-date=May 8, 2020 |publisher=CBC News |date=May 8, 2020}} A week later, on May 14, former Representative of the Government in the Senate Peter Harder joined the caucus. Harder, previously non-affiliated, explained that he was concerned about "majoritarianism" in the Senate and believed that, as part of the PSG, he could be "part of a bulwark against that."{{cite news |last1=Tasker |first1=John Paul |title=Former government point man Peter Harder joins the Progressive Senate Group |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/peter-harder-progressives-1.5569325 |access-date=May 15, 2020 |publisher=CBC News |date=May 14, 2020}} On May 21, 2020, Pierre Dalphond joined the caucus, bringing their numbers to nine and thus restoring official party status to the group.{{Cite news |last=Tasker |first=John Paul |title=Progressive Senate Group back from the dead as another Independent defects |work=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/progressive-senate-group-pierre-dalphond-1.5578447 |access-date=May 21, 2020}}

On June 11, 2020, Bovey was named the PSG's liaison.{{cite tweet|number=1271079128540876802|user=SenatorCordy|title=I would like to congratulate @SenPatBovey on her election as the new Liaison for @Prog_Senate. She makes an excellent addition to our Leadership team, and her collaborative style will serve her well in her new role. #SenCA https://t.co/gD1kpcD9lx|author-link=Jane Cordy|date=June 11, 2020|access-date=September 4, 2021|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611192026/https://twitter.com/SenatorCordy/status/1271079128540876802|archive-date=June 11, 2020|url-status=live|last=Cordy|first=Jane}}

• Pierre Dalphond - Leader (February 27, 2024 – present){{Cite web |title=About The Progressive Senate Group - Leadership |url=https://theprogressives.ca/about-us/ |access-date=2025-04-06 |website=The Progressive Senate Group}}
• Judy White - Deputy Leader (February 27, 2024 – present){{Cite web |title=About The Progressive Senate Group - Leadership |url=https://theprogressives.ca/about-us/ |access-date=2025-04-06 |website=The Progressive Senate Group}}
• Wanda Thomas Bernard - Liaison (June 11, 2020 – present){{Cite web |title=About The Progressive Senate Group - Leadership |url=https://theprogressives.ca/about-us/ |access-date=2025-04-06 |website=The Progressive Senate Group}}
• Amina Gerba - Caucus Chair (February 27, 2024 – present){{Cite web |title=About The Progressive Senate Group - Leadership |url=https://theprogressives.ca/about-us/ |access-date=2025-04-06 |website=The Progressive Senate Group}}

• Percy Downe - Whip/Facilitator (interim) (November 14, 2019 – November 17, 2019)
• Joseph Day - Leader (interim) (November 14, 2019 – December 11, 2019){{cite tweet |author=The Progressives |author-link=The Progressives |user=Prog_Senate |number=1205235770233106442 |date=December 12, 2019 |title=The Progressives announced a change of its leadership today. @SenatorCordy (Nova Scotia) is the group's new Leader. #SenCA #cdnpoli https://t.co/KkOmAzIYgf |language=en |access-date=September 4, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210823175723/https://twitter.com/prog_senate/status/1205235770233106442 |archive-date=August 23, 2021 |url-status=live}}
• Terry Mercer - Deputy Leader (interim) (November 12 – December 11, 2019); Caucus Chair (December 12, 2019 – November 30, 2020)
• Dennis Dawson - Deputy Leader (December 12, 2019 – May 31, 2021){{cite tweet |last=Cordy |first=Jane |author-link=Jane Cordy |user=SenatorCordy |number=1400066698338787329 |date=June 2, 2021 |title=Pleased to have @DalphondPierre as part of the @prog_senate Leadership Team #SenCA #cdnpoli https://t.co/Gg0ScNNSxp |language=en |access-date=September 4, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210901093515/https://twitter.com/senatorcordy/status/1400066698338787329 |archive-date=September 1, 2021 |url-status=live}}
• Patricia Bovey - Liaison (June 11, 2020 – January 31, 2023)
• Jane Cordy - Leader (December 12, 2019 – February 27, 2024)
• Brian Francis - Caucus Chair (December 1, 2020 – February 27, 2024){{cite tweet |last=Cordy |first=Jane |author-link=Jane Cordy |user=SenatorCordy |number=1333845452832247808 |date=December 1, 2020 |title=I would like to congratulate Senator @BrianFrancisPEI on his election as the new Caucus Chair for @Prog_Senate. He brings with him decades of experience in leadership and management and I welcome him to this new role. #SenCA https://t.co/AsWWUa5DwR |language=en |access-date=September 4, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210902090638/https://twitter.com/senatorcordy/status/1333845452832247808 |archive-date=September 2, 2021 |url-status=live}}

• Canadian Senators Group
• Independent Senators Group
• Senate Liberal Caucus

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• {{official|theprogressives.ca}}

{{Canadian federal political parties}}

Category:Senate of Canada

Category:Independent politicians in Canada

Category:2019 establishments in Canada

Category:Political organizations established in 2019