SENATORS’ STATEMENTS — Legislative Work of the Senate
Expression of Thanks
June 26, 2020
Colleagues, a few days ago, we celebrated the summer solstice, the time of year when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky. It’s also the day with the longest period of daylight for one of the two hemispheres. That makes it the longest day of the year, a day when we can spend long hours gazing upon our planet, our country and the people we love in the bright light of day. In the Beaufort Delta, Northwest Territories, the sun is up 24 hours a day.
That day, I was walking along the Ottawa River, listening to the almost perfect silence. It was an eerie silence that felt unsettling, yet at the same time reassuring. I could just make out the sound of human footsteps, voices in quiet conversation, the wingbeats of birds taking flight. It was the kind of silence that makes a host of thoughts and questions bubble up inside you.
With the summer break around the corner, I reflected on our work, as some of the most privileged members of our society, and I asked myself: Have we done everything we should to protect our fellow citizens and ensure their welfare? Have we thrown our full support behind the hard decisions that all the elected representatives in the other place have had to make?
What will the future look like? Will there be a second wave? Will my family, friends and community be affected? Will I lose some of my loved ones?
I was asking myself those questions as I watched a small sailboat float down the river. It brought to mind the old adage that says that, on the water, “the pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.” The realist adapts to change.
I think that is what we all tried to do, honourable senators. We tried to adapt and welcome the unknown by doing our best, each in his or her own way, using his or her own style. Some styles are more expressive than others, some are more vocal and others are more strategic. We took action and we will continue to do so.
I must admit that the Senate of Canada worked under conditions that were far from ideal, but it did work, and now it’s time to say thank you. Thank you to the administration, the analysts, the clerks, the interpreters, the security staff, the pages and the many men and women who support us in our offices day after day.
Thank you to our Speaker, who has the tremendous responsibility of directing the work of this chamber. Thank you to all of you, particularly Senator Lillian Eva Dyck, whose time in the Senate is coming to an end in August. The strength and intensity of her speeches in this chamber called my attention to the injustices experienced by her people. That is why we must continue to work, to give the most vulnerable members of our society a voice so that they are heard, acknowledged, listened to, respected and helped.
There are now four parliamentary groups in this chamber, and we know that, fortunately, the law of the majority does not carry the day here. When we return, honourable senators, we must once again sit down and work together to find the solutions and compromises that will help us serve Canadians as best we can. It is a bold step to take, but such an inspiring one. Thank you.