Hon. Jane Cordy: Honourable senators, it is such a pleasure to be back with you. I’m coming from Nova Scotia, which, for the past four days, has been the land of snow, wind and delayed and cancelled flights, so I’m really happy to be here. I just arrived a very short while ago, after fully expecting to be here more than 24 hours ago.

I am very pleased, on behalf of the Progressive Senate Group, to join the other leaders in offering some welcoming remarks to our newest senators.

Before we adjourned in December, we bid farewell to some of our senators whose retirements became official, so it seems fitting that while we ended our year with some heavy-hearted goodbyes, we will be starting this year by adding some new faces and voices to our chamber.

We have already heard about the impressive and varied backgrounds of our five newest senators, who have already taken their seats. I won’t repeat their incredible accomplishments.

Representing the province of Ontario, we have Senator Marnie McBean, Olympian and champion; Senator Paulette Senior, thought leader and trailblazer; Senator Toni Varone, businessman and philanthropist; Senator Mohammad Al Zaibak, entrepreneur and community leader; and, filling the last vacant seat from Prince Edward Island, we welcome Senator Mary Robinson, a businesswoman and strong agricultural advocate.

Though I share the enthusiasm of my colleagues in welcoming five new senators at once, it’s a shame that it doesn’t allow quite as much time to devote to each of you and the incredible careers you have all had to date. The various experiences that you bring will not only help to shape your work in the Senate but also bring new issues to our attention.

An important part of our work here is to advocate on behalf of our regions and under-represented groups whose concerns may not always be raised in the other place. Senator McBean, Senator Senior, Senator Varone, Senator Al Zaibak and Senator Robinson, we are so glad to have you with us as champions for each of your communities. Having heard a bit about your backgrounds this afternoon, we may already feel we have a sense of who each of you are and what issues you may choose to highlight in the Senate, but it’s important to remember that we are all much more than what can be summed up easily.

Some of you may end up pursuing issues that you or we would not have guessed, and I hope that happens. We are all more than meets the eye, and that is true of this institution as well. The Senate is known as the chamber of sober second thought, but it can be so much more. I don’t know what inspired each of you to apply to join our upper chamber, but I hope that you are all able to keep an open mind as you find your places here in the Senate of Canada.

It may not always be what you expect, but you are each now one of Parliament’s agents of change. We are so glad to have you with us, and we will do our best to help you navigate this transition.

So, Senator McBean, Senator Senior, Senator Varone, Senator Al Zaibak and Senator Robinson, on behalf of the Progressive Senate Group, it is my pleasure to officially welcome you to the Senate of Canada. We look forward to working with each of you.

Hon. Jane Cordy: Honourable senators, as always, it is a pleasure to join the other leaders and, on behalf of the Progressive Senate Group, offer a warm welcome to our newest Senate colleagues. It’s particularly exciting when I get to welcome Maritimers to the Senate. I’m sure Senator Gold and Ministers LeBlanc and Fraser share my enthusiasm at finally seeing these seats filled.

As others have mentioned, we will be benefiting from a variety of new backgrounds and experiences that will now contribute to the Senate. It is indeed one of the things that makes this place work best when we have a diversity of voices and can discuss important issues before us.

Another Cape Bretoner is joining us today. Senator Aucoin, francophones across not only l’Acadie but indeed all of Canada will certainly be well served by having your voice in this chamber. I hope that being on the other side of the legislative process proves just as interesting for you.

Senator Kingston, you have come to us with legislative experience, having served provincially, and I’m so pleased to see your service to New Brunswickers continuing here in this chamber. Your passionate advocacy will certainly be welcomed here, and as a former educator myself, I’m certain that your commitment to education will also prove beneficial.

Senator McNair, you have experience on both sides of the legislative as well as the political process. Considering this background, with your extensive dedication to your community, it seems like the perfect fit for you to now serve New Brunswickers here in the Senate of Canada.

Senator Ross, I have to say that it’s always so nice to see a woman in charge. It’s clear that your drive has gotten you far, and I’m delighted that I will have a front-row seat to this next chapter for you. The broad range and depth of community service that you all bring is truly impressive.

I’ve been impatient for new appointments — Senator Gold will tell you that — and I must say that it has been worth the wait. As others have already mentioned, you are indeed joining us at a particularly interesting time. We’re about to begin the final stretch of sitting weeks before the holiday break. As I’ve told others before you, this is a time when the sittings can become quite long and the workload can become quite heavy. However, it’s also a time when new friendships can be forged. It will definitely be a trial by fire, but I encourage you all to keep an open mind and remember that we are indeed a dynamic chamber, and not every day will look the same.

Today is shaping up to be a great example of that.

This time of year often marks the period that we refer to as “silly season,” and I want to assure you that it’s not necessarily the full picture of our work here. There will certainly be a learning curve, but I hope you know we’re all looking forward to helping you adapt to our procedures and practices.

Swearing-in ceremonies often remind us all of our own first days and how exciting and how overwhelming it all felt. They also remind us of how far we’ve come and what advice we can offer to you as you each embark on your own journeys here. Please do not hesitate to seek guidance from a variety of senators, as we each have a unique perspective to share.

Senator Aucoin, Senator Kingston, Senator McNair and Senator Ross, on behalf of the Progressive Senate Group, it is my pleasure to officially welcome you to the Senate of Canada. We look forward to working with each of you. Thank you.

Hon. Jane Cordy: Honourable senators, it’s wonderful to be back with you all, and particularly so as we witness another swearing-in ceremony. On behalf of the Progressive Senate Group, I’m delighted to join the other leaders in welcoming our newest senators: Senator Paul Prosper — better known as PJ — from Nova Scotia; and Senator Judy White from Newfoundland and Labrador.

As a former teacher, it’s difficult for me to resist my teaching roots, and September will always feel like back-to-school season and the freedom for a fresh start. We may not be starting a new session, but it still feels as if we have an opportunity to take a moment to reflect on what we have already accomplished and what we still intend to do.

These swearing-in ceremonies inevitably remind us of our own first days and how we each felt — with such possibility before us. It’s intimidating, certainly, to be the new kid in class, but I want to echo the voices of the other leaders and tell you both — Senator Prosper and Senator White — that we are all looking forward to having your voices added to our debates here in the Senate.

You have both spoken about the importance of representation. Seeing Senator Christmas, for example, as the first Mi’kmaw senator helped inspire you — I know — Senator Prosper, and your appointment will now be the inspiration for other Mi’kmaw youth.

Senator White, you have said that representation is a way to effect change from within and help “. . . ensure that colonialism is a thing of the past . . . .”

That brings us to this moment: seeing not one but two Mi’kmaw lawyers take their seats in the Senate Chamber. I welcome you both to the other side of the federal legislative process.

We have heard your impressive résumés and accolades that have shaped you into the people you are today. It’s time for you both to take these experiences and wisdom, and forge new paths as you establish yourselves here.

Like school, you’ll find different classes to join — here in the Senate, we call them “committees” — and you may be surprised to discover that sometimes we end up working on issues that we hadn’t even previously considered. I encourage you both to keep an open mind as you navigate your roles here.

Having such a diverse and varied group of senators serves Canadians well, but it remains crucial that we continue to seek out and listen to the voices that are still missing. Our committees help us do that. And as we’ve seen with a few other senators, including Senator Prosper, some of those important voices make the change from Senate committee witness to Senate committee member.

Less than 10 years ago, there had been no Mi’kmaw voices in this chamber. We now have three provinces who each have a Mi’kmaw senator, including — with Senator White — the first woman. Change has been slow to get started, but I’m so pleased to see how quickly it can grow.

On behalf of my colleagues in the Progressive Senate Group — and with some help from our caucus chair, Senator Francis, for pronunciation — it is my pleasure, Senator White and Senator Prosper, to welcome you both to the Senate of Canada. Pjila’si. Thank you.

Hon. Jane Cordy: Honourable senators, on behalf of the Progressive Senate Group, I’m pleased to once again join other leaders in what feels like a now regular and indeed very positive occurrence. Today, we have another two senators taking their places in this chamber, and I would like to extend the same warm greetings to them as I have to those who came before.

With your arrival, Senator Burey, we are gaining a champion for equality and justice, particularly for those in marginalized communities. I dare say that will make for a seamless transition to working in the Senate, although you’ll be surrounded by fewer children in this place.

As has been noted, you were the first woman of colour to become president of the Pediatricians Alliance of Ontario. In this place, it’s been over 40 years since we have had a senator representing your city of Windsor, and you are the first woman — and the first person of colour — to fill that role. We all know that being able to see oneself reflected in particular positions can have a tremendous impact, and I know that so many people — and especially children — will benefit from seeing you take your place in this chamber.

Being from Nova Scotia, I was very pleased that you were a graduate of Dalhousie University and that you worked at the IWK Health Centre.

Senator Patterson, with your arrival, we are gaining a champion for women — a Defence Champion for Women, to be more precise. As we’ve heard, you were the first person with a military nursing background to lead at the rank of Flag (General) Officer. Your work has taken on many different directions, but always in the service of others. One of your most recent efforts — helping seniors in long-term care facilities during the pandemic — is particularly commendable.

In a committee in the other place, you said that “Establishing a culture of belonging, dignity and justice will help unite us.” You were, of course, speaking about the Canadian Armed Forces and the work you’ve done there, but I think it’s a fitting statement for many places, including our own chamber. We work best when we are working under the right conditions, and I’m pleased to have more new faces to help us with that task here.

By the way, my brother-in-law, Dennis Hearn, who worked with you in the military, said that I would love working with you because we both have similar personalities. So if you see me staring at you or listening intently, I’ll be checking out your personality.

Senators, through your respective careers to date, you have both faced tremendous challenges, and you have both tackled them admirably. With this new chapter in your lives, I am certain that you will equally rise to the occasion.

On behalf of the Progressive Senate Group, it is my pleasure to officially welcome you both to the Senate of Canada. We look forward to working with you both, Senator Burey and Senator Patterson.

Hon. Jane Cordy: Honourable senators, it is always a pleasure to welcome new colleagues to the Senate of Canada. As Senator Plett stated earlier, I’m sure that many senators in the room are reminded of their own swearing-in ceremonies. It’s a day filled with a bit of awe for these wonderful Parliament buildings and the surroundings and of the colleagues you will be joining today. It’s a little bit of, “I sure hope I like this,” and, of course, a whole lot of excitement about starting a brand new career.

On behalf of my colleagues in the Progressive Senate Group, I would like to welcome Senators Clement, Quinn, Yussuff and Arnot. You are all outstanding Canadians whose collective skills and achievements will continue to serve Canadians through your work in the Senate of Canada. Each of you brings a lifetime of diverse experiences and broad knowledge to this chamber.

Senator Bernadette Clement is a lawyer, politician and trailblazer. Prior to joining us, she served the people of Cornwall, Ontario, as mayor. Not only was she the first woman to be elected as Mayor of Cornwall, she was the first Black woman to serve as mayor in Ontario. Bernadette’s experience as a city councillor and then mayor will serve us all well as we reconcile conflicting views on the varied legislation the Senate will debate on behalf of all Canadians.

A fellow Maritimer, Senator Jim Quinn served for 23 years in the Canadian Coast Guard before entering the ranks of the federal government. Senator Quinn brings with him a wealth of experience working within the federal government and invaluable knowledge of the relationship between the federal government and their stakeholders — knowledge that will only benefit all of us as we deliberate legislation in this chamber. Along with these skills, Jim’s time working for the Port of Saint John will be very helpful to him and to us in Senate deliberations.

Another trailblazer, Senator Hassan Yussuff is one of Canada’s most respected labour leaders. He was the first person of colour to be President of the Canadian Labour Congress. His experience and insight of labour relations and labour markets will serve Canadians well, particularly as we plan for the economic recovery from this pandemic. Many of us have had the pleasure of working with Senator Yussuff as he did an excellent job representing the voice of labour to parliamentarians in both houses of Parliament.

Senator David Arnot brings a career’s worth of legal expertise serving the people of Saskatchewan into our chamber. As a provincial judge, his work with the Poundmaker Cree First Nation ushering in sentencing circles and restorative justice measures was particularly groundbreaking. This experience will be invaluable as we — as senators and as a nation — continue on the path toward healing and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. David, the sharing of your experiences will be most welcome in the Senate.

Honourable senators, I used to be a teacher in my previous life, and teachers love to teach. My wonderful husband might say teachers love to be bossy. But perhaps I will temper my teachings by offering some advice and suggestions to our new colleagues.

My first suggestion is to listen. Remember the saying that maybe your mother said to you, “We have two ears and one mouth for a reason.” You will learn more by listening, especially in the first few months of your time here in the chamber. Be sure to ask questions, whether it’s here in the chamber or to your new colleagues.

And to our new colleagues — and Senator Plett made reference to this in his speech — all senators, no matter which group you are in, want what is best for Canada and for Canadians. We might disagree on what is best or how to go about getting what is best, but working collaboratively will ultimately make legislation, motions and reports better.

Working with senators from across the country and with people from different caucuses or groups only enhances the work we do. The principle of our group, the Progressive Senate Group, is Mamidosewin, which means “meeting place” and “walking together.” So whether you are in our group or not, it is a good policy to follow. It will broaden all of our perspectives.

To our new colleagues, be serious about your work, but never lose your sense of humour, particularly during long days and long nights of debate. It will be helpful.

So, Bernadette, Jim, Hassan, and David, as well as our colleagues being sworn in this afternoon — Senators Michèle Audette, Karen Sorensen, Clément Gignac and Amina Gerba — our team looks forward to working with you during your time here. On behalf of the Progressive Senate Group, welcome to the Senate of Canada.