[4] After the Liberal Party formed the government following the 2015 federal election, Trudeau appointed only independents to the Senate.

As Downe's departure dropped the PSG's standings below the minimum nine members required to be recognized as a caucus, the PSG lost its official status and became ineligible for the privileges associated with being an official parliamentary group, such as $410,000 in annual funding for staff and research as well as its right to be represented on Senate committees and procedural rights on the Senate floor.

[8][9][10] With Day's mandatory retirement forthcoming in January 2020, on December 12, 2019, Jane Cordy tweeted that her colleagues in the PSG had selected her as the new leader, ostensibly effective that same date.

[11] Additionally, it was announced later that day that Mercer would be moving into the whip/caucus chair role, and that Dennis Dawson would become deputy leader.

"[15] On May 21, 2020, Pierre Dalphond joined the caucus, bringing their numbers to nine and thus restoring official party status to the group.