Terry Mercer Explained

Honorific-Prefix:The Honourable
Terry Mercer
Leader:Jane Cordy
Predecessor:Position established
Term Start:December 12, 2019
Term End:May 6, 2022
Predecessor1:Position established
Successor1:Dennis Dawson
Term Start1:November 14, 2019
Term End1:December 11, 2019
Office2:Canadian Senator
from North End Halifax, Nova Scotia
Nominator2:Jean Chrétien
Appointed2:Adrienne Clarkson
Term Start2:November 7, 2003
Term End2:May 6, 2022
Birth Date:6 May 1947
Party:Liberal (until 2014)
Independent Liberal
(2014-2019)
Progressive Senate Group
(2019-present)

Terry M. Mercer (born May 6, 1947) is a former Canadian Senator who represented Nova Scotia from 2003 to 2022.

Career

From 1974 to 1978, Mercer worked as Executive Assistant to Nova Scotia's Minister of Labour and Housing. Mercer then acted as an administrator and fundraiser for numerous charitable organizations such as the Kidney Foundation of Canada, St. John Ambulance, the Nova Scotia Lung Association, the YMCA and the Canadian Diabetes Association and is currently Past Chair of the Association of Fundraising Professionals' Foundation for Philanthropy in Canada.

As Senator

A long-time fundraiser and organizer for the Liberal Party of Canada, Mercer was National Director of the Liberal Party during much of Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's tenure as party leader. Mercer was appointed to the Senate representing Nova Scotia by Chrétien in November 2003, shortly before the Prime Minister's retirement.

In February 2013, Mercer became a subject of criticism for having spent the most out of any senator in the previous year.[1]

On January 29, 2014, Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau announced all Liberal Senators, including Mercer, were removed from the Liberal caucus, and would sit as independents.[2] The senators referred to themselves as the Senate Liberal Caucus even though they were no longer members of the parliamentary Liberal caucus.[3]

With the Senate Liberal Caucus facing losing official parliamentary caucus status in 2020 with a third of its caucus facing mandatory retirements on their turning age 75, Senator Joseph Day announced that the Senate Liberal Caucus had been dissolved and a new Progressive Senate Group formed in its wake,[4] [5] with the entire membership joining the new group, including Mercer.

With Senator Day's mandatory retirement in January 2020, on December 12, 2019, Senator Jane Cordy tweeted[6] that her colleagues in the PSG had selected her as the new leader, ostensibly effective that same date. Additionally, she subsequently announced[7] later that day Senator Mercer would be moving into the Whip/Caucus Chair role, that Senator would become the new Deputy Leader, and that the interim monikers were being removed at the same time. Senator Mercer retired on May 6, 2022, upon reaching the age of 75, as required by the constitution.[8]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Meet Terry Mercer, Canada's most expensive senator. CTV News Atlantic. November 15, 2019.
  2. Web site: Liberal leader says senators not welcome in caucus. January 29, 2014. CBC News. November 15, 2019.
  3. News: Trudeau's expulsion catches Liberal senators by surprise. January 29, 2014. The Globe and Mail. January 29, 2014.
  4. News: Tasker . John Paul (J.P.) . There's another new faction in the Senate: the Progressive Senate Group . November 14, 2019 . CBC News . November 14, 2019.
  5. News: One-time Liberal senators rename themselves as Progressive Senate Group . November 14, 2019 . The Canadian Press . CTV News . November 14, 2019.
  6. Web site: Cordy . Jane . 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. . Twitter . 10 January 2020 . 12 December 2019.
  7. Web site: Cordy . Jane . I am very pleased to be working with our new Deputy Leader @dennis_dawson and our Whip/Caucus Chair @SenTMM. We look forward to working collaboratively with all senators to promote progressive policies for all Canadians. . Twitter . 10 January 2020 . 12 December 2019.
  8. Web site: ‘Don’t forget where you come from’: Senator Mercer retires. May 6, 2022. Senate of Canada. May 8, 2022.