CBC: Over 300 Canadians have served in both chambers on Parliament Hill since Confederation, an overwhelming majority of whom were appointed by a prime minister from the same political party.
There is a handful of cases where a prime minister has appointed a senator who had been an MP in a different party, though several years separated their exit from the lower chamber and their entry into the upper chamber.
Martel joins a unique club of senators who have been plucked directly from the House of Commons floor on the recommendation of a prime minister of a different political stripe…