CANADA Debates of the Senate 2nd SESSION . 40th PARLIAMENT . VOLUME 146 . NUMBER 41 OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Wednesday, June 3, 2009 ^ THE HONOURABLE NOËL A. KINSELLA SPEAKER CONTENTS (Daily index of proceedings appears at back of this issue). Debates Service: D'Arcy McPherson, Chambers Building, Room 943, Tel. 613-995-5756 Publications Centre: David Reeves, Chambers Building, Room 969, Tel. 613-947-0609 Published by the Senate Available from PWGSC ± Publishing and Depository Services, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0S5. Also available on the Internet: http://www.parl.gc.ca 974 THE SENATE Wednesday, June 3, 2009 The Senate met at 1:30 p.m., the Speaker in the chair. provincial election. This election resulted in a great victory for the Progressive Conservative party led by Hugh John Flemming who Prayers. was later elected to Parliament and served in the cabinet of the Right Honourable John George Diefenbaker. For Norman, this was the beginning of a lifetime in politics, in more federal and DISTINGUISHED VISITORS IN THE GALLERY provincial elections than he can probably count — although I bet he can count them. The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, before calling for Senators' Statements, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of the Honourable Dan Hays, my All honourable senators know of his long and accomplished predecessor as Speaker of the Senate of Canada; the career behind the scenes and on the front lines of Canadian Honourable Mabel DeWare; the Honourable Erminie Cohen; political life well before he came to this place. He served as a and the Honourable Alasdair Graham. campaign chair for the Right Honourable Brian Mulroney in the 1984 and 1988 elections, both of which produced majority On behalf of honourable senators, I welcome you back to the governments. He was a senior adviser, strategist and confidant Senate of Canada. to the Right Honourable Robert Lorne Stanfield and former Ontario Premier, William Davis. Few people in the history of Canadian political life share his depth of knowledge and expertise in advertising, strategic planning and communications. Before coming to the Senate, Senator Atkins was President of Camp Associates Advertising and was a director of the Institute of SENATORS' STATEMENTS Canadian Advertising. TRIBUTES Since his appointment to the Senate of Canada in June 1986 by former Prime Minister Mulroney, Norman Atkins has been THE HONOURABLE NORMAN K. ATKINS a proud representative of the people of Ontario. In over two decades, he has served as a member of numerous Senate The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I have received a committees, most notably on the Standing Senate Committee on notice from the Leader of the Government who requests, National Security and Defence and the Subcommittee on pursuant to rule 22(10), that the time provided for the Veterans Affairs. He has been a true champion for the men and consideration of Senators' Statements be extended today for women who serve in the Armed Forces, veterans and their the purpose of paying tribute to the Honourable Senator Norman families. I have no doubt at all that this dedication is rooted in the Atkins, who will be retiring from the Senate on June 27, 2009. pride and respect for his father George's service as a gunner in the Battle of Vimy Ridge. I remind honourable senators that pursuant to the Rules of the Senate of Canada, each senator will be allowed only three minutes . (1340) to speak and may do so only once. However, if it is agreed that we continue with our tributes to Senator Atkins into the time subsequently provided for Senators' Statements, if necessary, we Honourable senators, I have known Norman Atkins for a long would therefore have up to 30 minutes for tributes and any of the time. I am personally grateful for his friendship, guiding hand, time not used for tributes would be used for other statements. advice and support along the path of my own personal political career. It is no secret that in recent years we have chosen slightly Is it agreed, honourable senators? different political paths, a fact that I sincerely regret. I wish we could have convinced him to be part of our large and diversified Hon. Senators: Agreed Conservative political family, but alas that was not to be. However, we have remained friends. Hon. Marjory LeBreton (Leader of the Government and Minister of State (Seniors)): Honourable senators, this is one of the times Senator Atkins, on behalf of your Conservative colleagues in when we wish we were not restricted to three minutes, because this place and myself personally, I wish you a very happy three minutes will not allow enough time to adequately pay retirement. We will indeed miss you. tribute to Senator Norman Atkins. Honourable senators, today, after 23 years of service in the Hon. James S. Cowan (Leader of the Opposition): As the Leader Senate of Canada, we formally say goodbye to our colleague, of the Government in the Senate has said, it is impossible to cover Senator Norman Atkins, who was summoned to the Senate the contribution of our friend Norm Atkins to the public life of two days after his birthday in 1986. I remember it well. Canada in three minutes. Like so many of us here today, Senator Atkins was first exposed While I have known the name Norman Atkins for decades, to the world of politics in his youth. As a teenager, his great I have come to know him as a person only in the last four years. mentor, eventual business partner and brother-in-law, Dalton During that relatively short time, I have come to value his advice Camp, recruited him to be a gofer in the 1952 New Brunswick and, above all, his friendship. June 3, 2009 SENATE DEBATES 975 Senator Atkins cut his political teeth as a self-described ``gofer'' the Senate in February 2004, Senator Atkins traced his history in the 1950s in New Brunswick and later in my province of Nova and involvement with the Progressive Conservative Party Scotia. He was part of Robert Stanfield's team that came to beginning in 1952 and deplored the actions of so many of his government in 1956 — an election that brought my father to the colleagues who abandoned the traditions of the Progressive legislature of Nova Scotia — and an end to 23 years of Liberal Conservative Party to join the Conservative Party of Canada, rule. which resulted from the merger. Some Hon. Senators: Hear, hear! While he did not rule out joining that party at some point in the future, he said that for the moment he would remain a Progressive Senator Cowan: I assume that response was for the election of Conservative senator. I note that nothing has transpired since that my father. date that has persuaded him to change his original principled position. Senator Atkins remained a key adviser and organizer for Robert Stanfield during his long career in provincial and federal politics, all the while organizing provincial campaigns in Nova Honourable senators, despite whatever disagreements might Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Ontario, arise on issues of public policy between him and members of the Newfoundland, and even Bermuda. government or the opposition, all of us recognize the sincerity with which our friend has expressed his views, and all of us have appreciated the vast experience that has informed those views. He also managed riding campaigns for his brother-in-law and co-conspirator, the late Dalton Camp, and leadership campaigns for Robert Stanfield, Allan Lawrence, Roy McMurtry and . (1345) Larry Grossman. As Senator LeBreton pointed out, he ultimately chaired the successful national Progressive Within the last several years, I can recall several instances where Conservative campaigns of 1984 and 1988. he has risen to urge both government and opposition to ``put a little water in their wine'' in order to reach a compromise solution His reputation as a member of the Big Blue Machine is to some vexing issue where partisanship seemed to him to have legendary. Robert Mason Lee, in his book with the intriguing gotten the best of us. We shall miss these wise and timely title, One Hundred Monkeys: The Triumph of Popular Wisdom in interventions. Canadian Politics had this to say about the 1988 campaign: The Tories ran three-day candidate colleges in Ottawa, Despite his retirement from the Senate, I know he will retain an hosted by Norman Atkins and known as Norm's Boot active interest in the goings-on in this place and will be available Camp. The school gave candidates the motivational boost of to advise whenever and wherever asked. While he certainly must an evangelical retreat, the self-confidence of a Dale Carnegie have mixed feelings about leaving this great institution that has course, and the sales enthusiasm of an Amway convention; been such a large part of his life for the past 23 years, his all conducted with the forced bonhomie of a gathering of the retirement will give him more time to devote to his many other Moose Lodge. interests, which I understand will include the publication of his political memoirs, a book that is sure to be a bestseller. He will also be able to spend more time with Mary and members of his He went on to say that: family here and in his beloved New Brunswick. Atkins, as usual, was the heart of the Conservative campaign, privy to its inside intelligence and responsible Senator Atkins, as you leave us, we thank you for all you have for maintaining its strength and momentum. contributed to the public life of Canada — in the Senate and throughout the country — and we wish you a long, healthy and happy retirement.