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Senators appointed on the advice of the Prime Minister

On the advice of the Prime Minister, the Governor General, the Monarch's representative in Canada, officially appoints Senators to represent Canada's provinces and territories in Parliament. The rules for Senate representation are written in the Constitution. 

The Constitution requires that a senator:

  • Be a Canadian citizen.
  • Be between the ages of 30 and 75
  • Live in the province or territory for which they are appointed.
  • Own real estate worth $4,000 in the province for which they are appointed.
  • Have a total net worth of at least $4,000

Beyond these criteria established in the Constitution, there are no set rules about how the Prime Minister chooses senators. In 2016, the government created an independent advisory board for Senate appointments, which provides non-binding recommendations to the Prime Minister on Senate appointments.

The following table lists the number of Senators appointed on the advice of the Prime Minister from 1867 to today.