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QUESTION PERIOD — The Senate

Role of Government Representative

February 4, 2020


Honourable senators, my question is for the Government Representative in the Senate. Senator Gold, congratulations on your appointment. There is weighty and arduous and then there is weighty and arduous.

My question is this: How do you envisage your role as the Government Representative in the Senate? To what extent, if any, will it vary from that of your predecessor, and can you elaborate for us on your remarks on collaboration on your appointment that were made to the media?

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate) [ + ]

Thank you for that question. I will do my best to answer it briefly.

I want to build on the work that was done in the previous Parliament, both of my predecessor, Senator Harder, and his team but also the work that was done with all senators and groups to make this Parliament work. It only works if we work together. It only works if we collaborate. So I look forward to working with all groups in the Senate and indeed with all individual senators in a spirit of openness so that we can work together for the well-being of all Canadians.

I’m delighted in this regard to have by my side Senator Gagné and Senator LaBoucane-Benson, and we are all eager to work with you in that same spirit.

We want to work closely with those of you who may agree to sponsor government legislation. We want to work hard with each and every one of you who has an interest in legislation so we can be a fair, objective source of information to you to help you do your work as senators.

We’re going to try to work with you at the earliest stages of legislation because in this particular Parliament, I think it’s all the more important that our views be made known to government. If I may quote, early and often, the way we used to say that voting sometimes took place in my home province back in the day.

We want to make sure and we will offer our support to you to make sure that your views are taken seriously in the process. I believe in working together. I offer that to you. I know that you will help us, because we’re all in this together for the same reason. Thank you for your question.

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