Develop a non-partisan, merit-based process to advise the Prime Minister on Senate appointments.

What success looks like

An independent advisory board has been established to provide a non-partisan, merit-based process of advice for recommending Senators, resulting in the appointment of 45 independent Senators thus far.

Government's narrative on progress

The Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointments was established in January 2016 to provide advice to the Prime Minister on candidates for the Senate. Since July 2016, Canadians can apply, for the first time ever, to be considered for appointment to the Senate through an open online application process. To date, 45 non-partisan appointments to the Senate have been made under the new process and now the majority of Senators is not affiliated with a political party. In February 2018, the Minister of Democratic Institutions announced additional improvements to the Senate appointments process, including: keeping the application period open year-round, retaining submitted applications for two years, and allowing third parties to nominate potential candidates.

Note: this is the government's own description, not an independent assessment.