Giller Prize-winning author and senator David Richards joins Conservative caucus

Formerly an independent senator, David Richards from New Brunswick has officially joined the Conservative Senate caucus. Richards, who is a renowned author and has been honored with a Governor General’s Award in both non-fiction and fiction categories, was appointed to the Senate in 2018 by former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

In a statement released by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Sen. Leo Housakos, Richards expressed his pride in joining the Conservative caucus. He emphasized his commitment to core conservative values such as freedom of expression and individual responsibility since his appointment.

Senator Denise Batters, a Conservative senator, expressed her excitement about Richards joining the team, stating that it will be a great addition to the caucus. Richards, who is known for his award-winning novel “Mercy Among the Children” and his strong stance against the Liberal government’s gun control legislation, will continue to represent New Brunswick in the Senate.

With Richards joining the Conservative caucus, the party now has a total of 12 senators in the Senate. The overall standings in the Senate include 45 senators in the Independent Senators Group, 21 in the Canadian Senators Group, 18 in the Progressive Senate Group, and eight non-affiliated senators, with one vacant seat. As senators must retire at the age of 75, the Conservative caucus will see a decrease later this year with the retirements of Quebec Senator Judith Seidman and David Richards. Additionally, retirements in the following years will further reduce the Conservative caucus.

The integration of David Richards into the Conservative Senate caucus adds diversity of opinions and promotes healthy debate within the party. With his background as an accomplished author and his strong conservative values, Richards is expected to make significant contributions to the caucus until his retirement later this year.