SENATORS’ STATEMENTS — ResearchNB
October 7, 2025
Honourable senators, the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie, the APF, met recently in Quebec City to discuss foreign interference and artificial intelligence. According to one speaker, and I’m paraphrasing here, believing false information is not the worst thing; the worst thing is no longer believing the truth.
This is exactly why research and science are so important to our country and to the world.
As we all know, at a time when disinformation and misinformation spread so quickly, research is more important than ever. It allows us to shape public policy and legislation based on solid evidence rather than impressions or prejudice. Science and research are, in this sense, our strongest allies in protecting democracy, building trust and guiding decisions with clarity.
It is therefore with great pride that, alongside Senator Ross, I welcome to this august chamber the distinguished researchers from my province, the members of Research New Brunswick, or ResearchNB.
Today, artificial intelligence, or AI, is poised to play an ever greater role in our personal and professional lives. It has the power to accelerate the way we gather, analyze and share knowledge. Yet, as powerful as AI may be, it can also amplify the spread of false or misleading information.
In this context, the work carried out by organizations such as ResearchNB is of paramount importance. ResearchNB fuels innovation, funds research, strengthens our collective capacity and positions both New Brunswick and Canada as key players in this vital field. Its efforts ensure that Canada continues to innovate, to cultivate world-class talent and to deliver solutions to the pressing challenges of our time.
I would be remiss if I did not mention the challenges facing francophone researchers in minority communities in particular.
In its June 2024 report, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Science and Research stated that francophone researchers, being less visible internationally, have to contend with having less access to financial and material resources than their anglophone colleagues.
That being said, I am particularly honoured, as a senator from New Brunswick, to celebrate and promote the work of ResearchNB and to invite you, colleagues, to meet them at the New Brunswick Research and Innovation Showcase tonight from 5:30 to 7:30 at 1 Wellington Street, Room 180.
This is a unique opportunity for you and your teams to discover the cutting-edge research and innovation taking place in this most beautiful province of Canada, the province of Senator Richards, New Brunswick.
