Hon. Tony Dean: Honourable senators, it is National Public Service Week in Canada, and I want to recognize the thousands of public servants who work hard every day at the municipal, provincial and federal levels to keep us safe and make our lives better. This, of course, includes those who work in National Defence, policing, security, nursing and teaching, and university administrators and social workers. We have a number of former senior public servants in the Senate — leaders — including Senators Boehm, Shugart, Saint-Germain, Arnot, Marshall, Anderson, Boniface, Busson and Dagenais. We thank all of you for your public service and diplomacy, which continues in this place and outside of it.

Today, I also want to recognize that public service can take many forms. We have another senator here who does great public service, even though his career peaked as one of Canada’s senior bank executives. I see that Senator Marwah has some special guests here today: his wife, Amrin, and his two daughters, Nanki and Gurbani; his son-in-law, Doug; and three grandchildren, Amrie, Rulison and, yes, little Sabi as well. Sabi is very proud of his family — I know that you understand that — and he speaks very fondly of you all, and I know you’re all fond of him too.

There’s something I want you to know about Sabi. He brought all of his senior banking skills into the Senate, and he has worked very hard to make the Senate a better place — a better place to work and a place that works well. Sabi was head of probably the most important committee in the Senate: He was responsible for managing our money, and he is really good at that, as you probably know. He was responsible for ensuring that we treat each other well and that we all come to work in a safe and healthy place every day, a place where young people can work and learn about how laws are made and how government works. Sabi has helped us understand some important pieces of legislation as well, as the sponsor of a budget bill, a very important international trade agreement whose real title is too long for me to get through in the time available and a private member’s bill on Sikh Heritage Month.

Sabi is also generous in working for and supporting many charities and other worthy causes, although he never talks about that because modesty is one of Sabi’s virtues as well. Sabi likes to help people who need our help most. He has brought members of the deaf-blind community, those who can’t see or hear, to meet with us in the Senate for the past two years so that we can understand what sort of help they need and they deserve.

And there’s another reason that Sabi is one of our favourite senators: We like his jokes. He has a great sense of humour, and I am sure he makes all of you laugh too.

Colleagues, today, as we celebrate Canada’s public servants, let’s celebrate the fantastic public servants we have right here in the Senate, which very much includes our colleague Senator Sabi Marwah. Thank you, colleagues.

Hon. Tony Dean, Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on National Security, Defence and Veterans Affairs, presented the following report:

Tuesday, June 13, 2023

The Standing Senate Committee on National Security, Defence and Veterans Affairs has the honour to present its

FIFTH REPORT

Your committee, to which was referred Bill C-224, An Act to establish a national framework for the prevention and treatment of cancers linked to firefighting, has, in obedience to the order of reference of June 1, 2023, examined the said bill and now reports the same without amendment.

Respectfully submitted,

TONY DEAN

Chair

Hon. Tony Dean: Honourable senators, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the report of the Canada-United Kingdom Inter-Parliamentary Association concerning the Bilateral Visit to the United Kingdom, held in London, England and Belfast, Northern Ireland, from October 24 to 27, 2022.

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