Minister of Democratic Institutions Maryam Monsef has released the names of the eight people who are going to be advising the Trudeau government on Senate appointments.

According to a media release, the ‘Independent Advisory Board’ will be a non-partisan body with a mandate to provide Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with merit-based recommendations on Senate nominations.

The board will be chaired by Huguette Labelle, Emeritus Governor of the University of Ottawa and a Companion of the Order of Canada.

In the release, Monsef vowed that “the new, independent process will help inject a new spirit of non-partisanship into the Senate. I believe that this new process will immediately begin to restore the confidence of Canadians in an institution that plays an essential role in our parliamentary system.”

The eight members of the advisory board are:

Indira Samarasekera, federal member — former president and vice-chancellor of the University of Alberta.

federal member — former president and vice-chancellor of the University of Alberta. Professor Daniel Jutras, federal member — dean of law, full professor, Wainwright chair in civil law, McGill University.

federal member — dean of law, full professor, Wainwright chair in civil law, McGill University. Murray Segal, provincial member for Ontario — former Ontario deputy attorney general and Ontario deputy minister responsible for aboriginal affairs.

provincial member for Ontario — former Ontario deputy attorney general and Ontario deputy minister responsible for aboriginal affairs. Dawn Lavell Harvard, provincial member for Ontario — president of the Native Women’s Association of Canada.

provincial member for Ontario — president of the Native Women’s Association of Canada. Sylvie Bernier, provincial member for Quebec — Olympic gold medalist.

provincial member for Quebec — Olympic gold medalist. Yves Lamontagne, provincial member for Quebec — psychiatrist and leading figure in the field of medicine.

provincial member for Quebec — psychiatrist and leading figure in the field of medicine. Susan Lewis, provincial member for Manitoba — worked for over 40 years with the United Way of Winnipeg, including as president from 1985 to 2014.

provincial member for Manitoba — worked for over 40 years with the United Way of Winnipeg, including as president from 1985 to 2014. Heather Bishop, provincial member for Manitoba — musician, singer, songwriter, independent recording artist and entrepreneur.

The establishment of the advisory board is the first step in the Liberal government’s plan to create what they say will be a non-partisan process to provide Trudeau with non-binding recommendations on Senate appointments.

“The Board will undertake broad consultations within the three provinces with the greatest number of vacancies in the Senate. It is hoped that five vacancies (two in Manitoba, two in Ontario and one in Quebec) will be filled by early 2016,” states the release.

The permanent process will be established later in 2016, the release says, and will include an application process open to all Canadians.

The Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Claude Carignan, has a number of questions about the panel and suggests at least two of its members are connected to Trudeau.

In a statement emailed to iPolitics from Carignan’s office, they write that there’s no reform and the establishment of this panel “does nothing to fundamentally change how Senators are selected.”

“The Senate nominations list which the panel creates will remain secret and non-binding, and Prime Minister Trudeau will have carte blanche to appoint Senators who don’t appear on any recommended list. Where is the transparent and public process promised by the Liberals? How will these panels insure that “ordinary” Canadians are appointed to the Senate? Will this process only allow people who are somehow connected to the panel to be appointed?” reads the statement.

The Opposition in the Senate also points out that when the Senate resumes next week, it will also be without a Leader of the Government in the Senate.

“As so many regions are currently unrepresented by opposition MPs in the House of Commons, it is especially important that the Senate have the ability to hold the Government to account. Unfortunately, the non-partisan selection of this panel is not apparent. Two of the individuals, including the Chair, Mme Huguette Labelle, and Ontario panel member Dr. Dawn Lavell Harvard, are Trudeau Foundation scholars, with clear links to the Prime Minister,” the statement concludes.