DEBATES OF THE SENATE 1st SESSION • 42nd PARLIAMENT • VOLUME 150 • NUMBER 138 OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Tuesday, September 19, 2017 The Honourable GEORGE J. FUREY, 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: Kim Laughren, National Press Building, Room 926, Tel. 613-947-0609 Published by the Senate Available on the Internet: http://www.parl.gc.ca 3652 THE SENATE Tuesday, September 19, 2017 The Senate met at 2 p.m., the Speaker in the chair. INTRODUCTION Prayers. The Hon. the Speaker, having informed the Senate that there was a senator without, waiting to be introduced: CLERK OF THE SENATE The following honourable senator was introduced; presented Her Majesty’s writ of summons; took the oath prescribed by law, which was administered by the Clerk; and was seated: COMMISSION ISSUED TO NICOLE PROULX Hon. David Adams Richards, of Fredericton, New The Hon. the Speaker: Colleagues, welcome back. I hope Brunswick, introduced between Hon. Peter Harder, P.C., and you’ve all had a fruitful and healthy summer and had some time Hon. Elaine McCoy. to spend with friends and family. The Hon. the Speaker informed the Senate that the Honourable senators, I have the honour to inform the Senate honourable senator named above had made and subscribed the that a commission under the Great Seal has been issued to Nicole Declaration of Qualification required by the Constitution Act, Proulx, Clerk of the Senate and Clerk of the Parliaments, 1867, in the presence of the Clerk of the Senate, the appointing her a Commissioner to administer the oath of Commissioner appointed to receive and witness the said allegiance to members of the Senate, and also to take and receive declaration. their declarations of qualification. • (1440) Honourable senators, we seem to be having some technical difficulties. We have an issue with the microphones. CONGRATULATIONS ON APPOINTMENT Hon. Yonah Martin (Deputy Leader of the Opposition): Hon. Peter Harder (Government Representative in the The speaker is on. Senate): Honourable senator, better later than never, and, if we’ve kept you waiting, it is my pleasure, as the Government The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, we have called Representative in the Senate, to welcome our newest colleague, for a technician to make sure we don’t have interruptions later the Honourable David Adams Richards, to represent his home on. province of New Brunswick. He comes from the beautiful region of Miramichi and is a resident of Fredericton. For now, honourable senators, there have been consultations and there is an agreement to allow a photographer in the Senate [Translation] Chamber to photograph the introduction of a new senator. Is it agreed, honourable senators? Senator Richards was just 20 when his first novel was published. Hon. Senators: Agreed. [English] The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, with your indulgence, we will wait for a couple of minutes to make sure Starting with an extraordinary early success, he has written this technical problem has been addressed before calling on our more than 30 books and has become one of Canada’s most new senator. With your permission, we will suspend and resume decorated writers. Among his honours, he won the Giller Prize, after a five-minute bell. Is that agreed, honourable senators? two Gemini Awards for scriptwriting, the Canadian Authors Association Award and the Matt Cohen Award for a Hon. Senators: Agreed. distinguished lifetime contribution to Canadian literature. Senator Richards is also one of only three writers to have won (The sitting of the Senate was suspended.) both the fiction and the nonfiction category of the Governor General’s Literary Award. • (1430) [Translation] (The sitting of the Senate was resumed.) Let us welcome Senator Richards, who joins us as he starts a new chapter in his career. NEW SENATOR [English] The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I have the honour to inform the Senate that the Clerk has received a We will no doubt benefit from his gift for connecting people certificate from the Registrar General of Canada showing that and allowing them to feel and to understand the experiences of David Adams Richards has been summoned to the Senate. others, especially those who have been marginalized. September 19, 2017 SENATE DEBATES 3653 [Translation] The Senate is most commonly referred to as a chamber of sober second thought, and we all do our best to heed that motto. We will also benefit from his passion for the arts and But there is another important component that helps us in our education. role as a complementary legislative body. The other place, as we sometimes refer to the House of Commons, is often more focused [English] on the immediate and on what is politically profitable. Our chamber is better poised to take the long view and to consider As he starts this new chapter, Senator Richards may discover policies and legislation with regard to their long-term that our work here involves both fiction and nonfiction. The work consequences. of a senator can involve surprising developments, narratives with many twists and turns and, on occasion, a bit of drama. In short, Our committees are typically thought to ask more difficult senator, I think you’ll find yourself very comfortable in our questions of witnesses as we try to consider all possible impacts midst. We welcome you. of policy and legislation. [Translation] We are also proud of our diversity here in this chamber and our ability to speak for all Canadians. I have no doubt that you will Hon. Larry W. Smith (Leader of the Opposition): be a strong voice not only for New Brunswickers but also for Honourable senators, I am pleased to welcome our newest rural Canadians in particular. colleague, Senator David Adams Richards, who is taking his seat in the Senate of Canada for the first time today to represent the I encourage you to take your time to get acquainted with the province of New Brunswick. Red Chamber. It will, at times, appear to be a steep learning process, and I assure you that you have many colleagues who [English] will be pleased to answer any questions and familiarize you with this ever-changing institution. We often have a reputation for In this chamber, we have the opportunity to debate legislation being averse to change, but I assure you that we are not. Many of on issues that will affect all Canadians. Debate, by nature, has a us simply wish to ensure that we get things right as we reconsider proponent and an opponent. I believe that a critical step in the how to operate and how this reflects our long-term thinking. legislative process is the debate that is open to the public here, through our committees and in the chamber. [Translation] Debate allows Canadians to listen to the concerns and benefits of the bill being reviewed. The process of adjourning the debate I would like to take this opportunity to assure you that we look allows time for further consultation and research. The end result, forward to working with you, honourable senator. On behalf of through possible amendments, allows us, as a group, to put the independent Liberal senators, welcome to the Senate of forward the very best legislation for the citizens of our great Canada. country, Canada. [English] On behalf of this Conservative caucus, I welcome you, sir, to this chamber and look forward to healthy debate in the future Hon. Elaine McCoy: I, too, am delighted to welcome and, of course, to having the opportunity for all of us to meet Senator Richards to this chamber. On behalf of the Independent you. Senators Group, I’m delighted to see that you are sitting in an independent Senate seat. I had the great pleasure of meeting Hon. Joseph A. Day (Leader of the Senate Liberals): Senator Richards a little earlier today, after pictures with the Honourable colleagues, I would like to welcome you all back to family were taken. As he was walking away from me with his Parliament Hill. dark jacket on, I noticed this little white string on his back. I raced over and I said, “Senator Richards, please stop; somebody [Translation] is already trying to put strings on an independent senator.” So we rectified that immediately. I hope you all had a good and restful summer because we have some busy days ahead of us. • (1450) [English] I look forward to your long and what I’m sure will be a distinguished career in this chamber. You are, as others have In particular, I would like to welcome our newest colleague, a said, noted for your insight; you’re a student of human nature. fellow New Brunswicker, Senator David Adams Richards. As an There is nothing that will stand you in better stead than being a award-winning author — I have noted as well, as Senator Harder student of human nature, both in understanding your colleagues pointed out — that he has won awards in both fiction and in this chamber and the dynamics of this chamber, and also in nonfiction, and it will be interesting for us to see which genre understanding the hopes and desires of people in this chamber better prepared you for this new role that you have here. and all Canadians for the future of our country. As you join the Senate on the path to learning more about our I think at bottom, every one of our best desires is to leave after institution while also participating in its renewal, I would like, if a day’s work in the Senate saying, “I did something to help I may be so bold, Senator Richards, to offer you some advice.