The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I have the honour to inform the Senate that the Clerk of the Senate has received a certificate from the Registrar General of Canada showing that Rodger Cuzner has been summoned to the Senate.

[English]

Hon. Rodger Cuzner, of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, introduced between Hon. Marc Gold, P.C., and Hon. Hassan Yussuff.

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I have the honour to inform the Senate that the Clerk of the Senate has received a certificate from the Registrar General of Canada showing that Rodger Cuzner has been summoned to the Senate.

[English]

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Honourable senators, on behalf of the opposition and the Senate Conservative caucus, I am pleased to rise in this chamber to welcome our new colleague, a long-time Liberal parliamentarian, the Honourable Rodger Cuzner of Nova Scotia.

Senator, I am truly pleased to extend to you a very warm welcome to the Senate of Canada. I look forward to our future political debates in this chamber.

I also welcome the fact that Prime Minister Trudeau has removed the fig leaf from his Senate appointments and is now openly appointing partisan Liberals to the upper chamber.

Canadians do not buy the claim that Prime Minister Trudeau’s Senate appointment process is any better than what previous prime ministers did in the past. Because at the end of the day, regardless of the process behind how names are brought forward — whether it involves a list of 50 names or 3 — it is the Prime Minister who chooses who will be appointed. After eight years in power, the only real change to Prime Minister Trudeau’s selection process is that it now costs Canadians more money.

Senator Cuzner, you are a well-rounded politician, and your experience speaks to your commitment to serving our country and making it a better place. I want to recognize that even though we are from two different political parties, when senators are genuine about their political alliance, their friendships are honest.

I look forward to getting to know you better. As Senator Gold pointed out — even though he had the wrong name — Senator Cuzner, you have twice been voted the most collegial member of Parliament by your colleagues and were also described by Maclean’s magazine as “Parliament’s sense of humour.”

You, sir, are a great addition to the Senate family.

Canadians have increasingly been looking to the Senate for hope — hope that their voices are heard and the severity of the affordability crisis will be a priority for all parliamentarians.

Senator Cuzner, people across our beautiful country need reassurance right now, and to see common sense in Ottawa. They need to see parliamentarians take on their duty to work and fight for their best interests. I am proud to be part of the Conservative team that aims to do that.

Senator Cuzner, please know that Conservatives look forward to working in collaboration with you on ways to improve the lives of all Canadians.

On behalf of the opposition and the Conservative caucus, I want to warmly welcome you to the Senate of Canada.

[Translation]