Honourable senators, as we come to the end of a parliamentary year marked by major transitions, I would like to express my deep gratitude to all the teams that support our work with such skill and dedication.

Together, we have been through prorogation, dissolution and then the opening of the Forty-fifth Parliament, marked by a historic moment: the Speech from the Throne read by His Majesty King Charles III.

We also said goodbye to colleagues and welcomed several new ones to this chamber.

It was a powerful reminder of the constitutional traditions at the heart of our democracy as well as the continuity of our institutions and their ability to evolve with time.

None of this would have been possible without all of you.

I speak not only of senators, but of all the remarkable teams who support our work, whether in our offices, in the Senate administration or among our parliamentary partners. You embody what it means to serve our democratic institutions.

No matter what the service, from pages to security, translators and interpreters to technicians, administrative and maintenance staff to our own assistants and advisors, not forgetting our Clerk, Shaila Anwar, our Deputy Clerk, Gérald Lafrenière and of course the Usher of the Black Rod, Greg Peters, and their teams.

Your agility and sense of public service inspire us. To the Parliamentary Protective Service, the PPS, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary, thank you for your unflagging commitment, day and night, to protecting our democracy.

In this demanding environment, our teams have shown remarkable agility, unfailing commitment and admirable professionalism.

Every day, I am inspired by your work. It has been a year full of events and change, but thanks to your support, we have served Canadians with effectiveness and respect.

As we head out for a well-deserved summer break, I encourage all of you to take the time to recharge, spend time with your loved ones and come back revived, with the same energy I’ve learned to expect from you.

And as one of my wise predecessors used to say: Don’t forget to turn off your phones once in a while.

I wish you all a wonderful summer.

Thank you very much. Meegwetch.