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Debates of the Senate Debates of the Senate 2nd SESSION . 41st PARLIAMENT . VOLUME 149 . NUMBER 114 OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Tuesday, February 3, 2015 The Honourable PIERRE CLAUDE NOLIN Speaker This issue contains the latest listing of Senators, Officers of the Senate and the Ministry. CONTENTS (Daily index of proceedings appears at back of this issue). Debates Services: D'Arcy McPherson, National Press Building, Room 906, Tel. 613-995-5756 Publications Centre: David Reeves, National Press Building, Room 926, Tel. 613-947-0609 Published by the Senate Available on the Internet: http://www.parl.gc.ca 2851 THE SENATE Tuesday, February 3, 2015 The Senate met at 2 p.m., the Speaker in the chair. built. And it is our table officers, led for the past five years by Dr. O'Brien as our Clerk, who are the guardians of that foundation. Prayers. [Translation] We could not have hoped for a better person to fulfill that role. Dr. O'Brien began working on Parliament Hill in 1975, shortly after receiving his Master of Arts in Political Science from SENATORS' STATEMENTS Carleton University. He started his career with the Library of Parliament, then moved over briefly to the House of Commons, before coming to his true home here in the Senate 35 years ago. VISITORS IN THE GALLERY Through the years, he continued to deepen and expand his The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw to knowledge of parliamentary traditions and procedure, somehow your attention the presence in our gallery of Dr. Gary O'Brien's carving out time to write a dissertation and earn a doctorate, family: his wife Colette and his daughter Émilie. again from Carleton. His topic was one the relevance of which everyone here can immediately appreciate, but I suspect he may have had a few challenges explaining it to family and friends. The On behalf of all honourable senators, I welcome you to the title was: Pre-Confederation Parliamentary Procedure: The Senate of Canada. Evolution of Legislative Practice in the Lower Houses of Central Canada, 1792-1866. Gripping stuff for Sunday night dinners at Hon. Senators: Hear, hear! the O'Briens! [English] It may sound obscure, but colleagues, the substance was anything but. In it, he described how legislative rules: DR. GARY W. O'BRIEN — mediated power and protected the weak from the strong, even though such rules were often resented. CLERK OF THE SENATE AND CLERK OF THE PARLIAMENTS—TRIBUTES ON RETIREMENT Dr. O'Brien rose to the position of Deputy Clerk of the Senate Hon. James S. Cowan (Leader of the Opposition): Colleagues, and then, after seven years, as others do from time to time after I rise today to pay tribute to Dr. Gary O'Brien, the departing seven years' work, he took an extended sabbatical, beginning in Clerk of the Senate and Clerk of the Parliaments. Dr. O'Brien 2006. Well, he didn't call it a sabbatical — he thought he was once wrote that: retiring, but we knew better. — parliamentary procedure is essentially the method by Gary's dedication to the Parliament of Canada, and especially which a legislature's constitutional responsibilities are to the Senate — his knowledge of and commitment to the rich discharged . traditions and ideals of this place, with all of their history reaching back centuries in British parliamentary history — meant W. F. Dawson, the great political scientist and expert on that when we were looking for a new Clerk in 2009, he Canadian parliamentary democracy, elaborated on the same immediately and willingly set aside his plans for retirement and point, writing that our parliamentary traditions and rules: returned here. — operate to guarantee the debate in Parliament which we This has not been an easy time to be the Clerk of the Senate. consider necessary and to ensure that the government will be But Dr. O'Brien's knowledge, experience, quiet confidence and, subject at all times to effective scrutiny by the last but most definitely not least, calm manner and excellent sense representatives of those in the country who do not agree of humour all contributed immeasurably to our collective ability with its policies. to address each of the very challenging issues we have faced in recent years. His concern has always been for the institution he Parliamentary procedure makes our system a reality. serves, the Parliament and the Senate of Canada; our Canadian parliamentary democracy that this place embodies; and, of course, the many dedicated people he leads in serving this place. In short, colleagues, our rules of procedure, those often arcane, That last was especially evident on October 22 and in the days strange rules that bemuse and befuddle most outside observers, following. His calm leadership was a critical part of our Senate are really the bedrock on which our parliamentary democracy is family's success during that difficult time. 2852 SENATE DEBATES February 3, 2015 Gary, you will be truly missed. I can't help but hope that, like I don't think many of my colleagues know that among the the last time, you have simply used the wrong terminology — that many articles and book reviews on parliamentary procedure that when you say ``retirement'' what you really mean is ``extended Gary has published, he also published a book which I happen to vacation,'' and that, in fact, before too long, in some capacity, you have. I've read it with great interest. In fact, I would highly will find a way to once again share your deep knowledge and sage recommend that you all read it. It's called Oswald's Politics and is advice for the benefit of this place you have served so well. Until about the assassination of John F. Kennedy. As some of us also then, you know you are leaving us in good hands with the know, he taught courses at Algonquin College about the politics excellent team of table officers you have put in place. and all of the machinations surrounding the assassination of President Kennedy. In the meantime, our very best wishes for happiness to you and your family as you set out on your latest ``sabbatical.'' In closing, I would like to thank you, Gary, Dr. O'Brien, for your loyal and dedicated service as Clerk and for doing the right Hon. Marjory LeBreton: Honourable senators, it is indeed an thing. I'm sorry to see you go, and I wish you will all the very best honour for me today to rise to pay tribute to Dr. Gary O'Brien on as you embark on your retirement, and I think you mean it this the occasion of his retirement as Clerk of the Senate. time. Dr. O'Brien was named Clerk of the Senate and Clerk of the Gary, I know you'll be really missed by all of your colleagues, Parliaments on September 16, 2009. A search committee not only the people who work with you and under you, but also conducted in the Privy Council Office, since this is an order-in- all of the senators on both sides and anyone who has had the great council appointment, recommended Dr. O'Brien over several privilege of being in the Senate or employed by the Senate under other people who had also applied. When he returned, he was no your leadership. Thank you very much. stranger to this place or to Parliament. Indeed, he served on Parliament Hill in various capacities, as Senator Cowan mentioned, since 1975, including in the Library of Parliament, Hon. Jane Cordy: Honourable senators, it is indeed a pleasure in the House of Commons, as Chief of English Journals and as and a privilege for me to stand today to give tribute to Director of Committees in the Senate, where I really got to know Dr. Gary O'Brien, who is soon to retire as our Clerk of the him well during a certain famous committee many of us worked Senate and Clerk of the Parliaments. It is strange to imagine that on, better known as the Pearson Airport Inquiry and then as Gary will actually soon be hanging up the black robes — and Deputy Clerk of the Senate. maybe, just maybe, for good this time. As Leader of the Government in the Senate, I welcomed Gary Gary is originally from Toronto, but Parliament Hill has been back in his new position as Clerk. I congratulated him on his his real home for many years. He started with the Library of appointment and I specifically assured him that I understood the Parliament in 1975 and then spent time with the House of role of Clerk of the Senate, as I did mine as Leader of the Commons before he found his proper place in the Senate in 1980. Government in the Senate. I clearly understood that the Senate That was the year that he joined the Senate. As others have stated, runs the Senate and that the government does not run the Senate, he served as our Chief of English Journals and our Director of nor does the government run the House of Commons. I had no Committees before he was named as Deputy Clerk in 1999. He desire other than that this place be run properly, and I had served with distinction in that role until he took his first nothing more to say to Gary O'Brien other than it was my hope retirement in 2006. At that time we were saddened at the loss of that under him this place would be run properly and that he a keen and insightful observer and friend. But little did we know would do the right thing.
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