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In finally exercising his prerogative to appoint members of the Senate, Stephen Harper acted yesterday less like a prime minister and more like the party leader he has never deigned to be.

Facing criticism for setting off the chain of events that almost resulted in the government's defeat this month, Mr. Harper moved uncharacteristically, first by filling the Senate and then by choosing appointees with deep Conservative ties, some of them former Progressive Conservatives. It is the action, say some Tories, of a man who knows he needs to create loyalty through more than just the force of personal intimidation.

"This is a break-the-glass-in-case-of-emergency kind of thing," said one long-time Conservative. "The hammer has shattered the glass."

Until yesterday, Mr. Harper had steadfastly maintained that he would only appoint senators in rare circumstances. The chamber, he said, was to be elected and he wouldn't enlarge it, save for the appointment of individuals like Alberta senate reformer Bert Brown or Michael Fortier, who was put in to fill a Quebec cabinet post.

But given yesterday's events, Mr. Harper seems to have realized the need to make friends and appease critics at a time when his reputation as a parliamentary strategist is in doubt. Party members, especially those accustomed to long periods out of power, generally don't look kindly on unexploited patronage possibilities. The appointments signal the pragmatic shift of a man who wants to keep his party onside if he were to lose his government next month, and who also wants to quiet the doubters.

Consider some of the appointees. There was, for example, Stephen Greene, once the chief of staff to former Reform Party leader Preston Manning, who was already receiving congratulatory e-mails from former Reform members. Also on the list were Nicole Eaton and Irving Gerstein, well-known Ontario fundraisers who were praised by a senior Conservative as two of the most important Tories to come from the old PC wing of the party. The rest of the list is similarly dotted with party stalwarts.

Had he not made the appointments, Mr. Harper might have been compared to former prime minister Joe Clark.

Although Mr. Clark did appoint senators during his short stint in power, a number of other patronage jobs went unfilled, which led to much grumbling among PCs who had been waiting during the Trudeau years for their turn at the trough. Mr. Harper would loathe the thought of being likened to Mr. Clark, but it was a comparison that was starting to be made by some party members.

Bob Plamondon, a Conservative Party expert and author, says yesterday's appointments show Mr. Harper has a practical side. Mr. Plamondon, who quotes Mr. Harper in a recent book as never having stood for patronage "because I don't owe anybody anything," says Mr. Harper has concluded that rallying the troops is important to his future as party leader.

"This is a motivating factor for his base, to see that he is prepared to go ahead with some appointments," Mr. Plamondon says. "There is place for loyalty in politics and with this Prime Minister it's been in short supply."

As to whether Mr. Harper has offended the Western base of the party - many of whose members support Senate reform - at least one party worker said the disappointment will be balanced by the fact that the PM has finally recognized the party needs nurturing.

The prevailing wisdom, though, seems to be that Mr. Harper is facing tough times that will be made more difficult by an economy that is heading into a tailspin. Given that, Mr. Harper needs to become the kind of political party man that he has so far resisted becoming.

"That's what you do," said Peter Woolstencroft, a political scientist with the University of Waterloo. "You build up your constituencies."

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The current Senate

Yesterday's 18th Senate appointments bring the balance of Conservatives and Liberals closer.

TOTAL BY PARTY

41 Conservatives

59 Liberals

4 Independents*

1 Other

BY APPOINTING PRIME MINISTER

Joe Clark (1)

ONTARIO

Pierre Trudeau (9)

ONTARIO - 5

QUE. - 2

ALTA. - 1

NVT. - 1

John Turner (1)

N.B.

Brian Mulroney (20)

ONTARIO - 6

MANITOBA - 4

QUE. - 3

N.S. - 2

SASK. - 2

B.C. - 1

N.B. - 1

NFLD. LABR. - 1

Jean Chretien (38)

QUEBEC - 10

NEW BRUNSWICK - 5

ONTARIO - 7

NOVA SCOTIA - 4

NFLD./LABR. - 4

PEI - 3

ALTA. - 1

B.C. - 1

MAN. - 2

NWT. - 2

Paul Martin (17)

QUEBEC - 5

ONTARIO - 3

ALBERTA - 3

SASK. - 2

B.C. - 1

MAN. - 1

N.B. - 1

N.S. - 1

Stephen Harper (19)

QUEBEC - 4

B.C. - 3

N.S. - 3

ONT. - 2

ALTA.** - 1

N.B. - 2

NFLD./LAB. - 1

P.E.I. - 1

SASK - 1

YUKON - 1

*Includes Independent NDP

**Appointed by Mr. Harper in 2007

TONIA COWAN/THE GLOBE AND MAIL