Honourable senators, I rise today on behalf of the Government Representative Office, or GRO, to pay tribute to my colleague and friend Senator Marc Gold on a remarkable career in the Senate.

Marc, in February 2020, the Prime Minister asked you to be the Government Representative in the Senate. And within a month of you, Senator Gagné and I beginning our work in the new GRO, this chamber and the whole world shut down for COVID.

In retrospect, boss, this was probably pretty good preparation for the next five years we would spend doing this together, because nothing has ever been normal—or when things seemed normal, they never stayed that way for long. Yet you’ve always rolled with it. From early-morning leadership meetings, to the fun and games of Question Period, to five hours on your feet for a marathon debate on the Emergencies Act, the entire GRO team has admired your stamina, your ability to absorb information and your sense of humour through it all — your lack of a poker face, however, not so much.

Before I wrote this tribute, I spoke with GRO staff, who are all here today, to get their thoughts. They mentioned your impromptu law lectures and your guitar performances at our holiday parties. But, above all else, there was one thing that kept coming up: the genuine care, kindness and pride you have for our team. Marc, you frequently brag that we have the best team on the Hill, and I agree, but it’s in large part because of you and your leadership.

You’ve also set an example of how to be a leader in this vast, diverse country, both before and during your time as a senator. You’ve been a committed supporter of the Jewish community and Israel, and I’ve personally enjoyed our conversations about Judaism and Zionism, as well as the substantial assigned reading list you gave me on this topic that I promise I’ll get through eventually.

You’ve also used your Jewish values to reach out and build relationships with folks of other faiths. Similarly, you’re a proud Quebec anglophone with a deep affinity for francophone culture and interests. Marc, you’ve demonstrated that we strengthen our own community by building bridges and friendships with others.

There is one unofficial member of the GRO who also deserves a tribute: your wife, Nancy. Nancy, you have been a big part of this team, supporting Marc throughout his time in this chamber. I know how happy you will be to have Marc back, but know that your Ottawa family will sorely miss you both.

However, as Senator Petten mentioned, Marc’s face will remain a constant presence around here. Many of us have our swearing-in photos on our desks, and you are in a lot of them, smiling away and, honestly, reminding us how to do this job with good humour and honour.

Finally, former senator Frances Lankin told me this: What do you call someone whom you admire and wish to emulate — someone of noble character who always exhibits rectitude and dignity and is guided by a sense of what is right, responsible and decorous?

You call him a friend and a real mensch. You call him the Honourable Senator Marc Gold.

Honourable senators, it is with mixed feelings that I rise today to pay tribute to our colleague Senator Gold, with whom I have had the pleasure to work, first within the ISG facilitation team and then as Government Representative in the Senate, a very demanding role — you would agree — which he has held for more than five years. As Government Representative, Senator Gold, without a doubt, has demonstrated his dedication to the Senate and the Canadian people.

I speak of true dedication because I vividly remember his marathon-worthy performance in answering our questions during the debate on the use of the Emergencies Act. Frankly, I remember it so well because I was the next person in line on the Order Paper and had to wait, passionately listening to Senator Gold for seven long hours, before giving my own speech.

Senator Gold, in this difficult and often thankless role you have shown a profound sense of dignity in the face of — at times — very difficult questions and hard criticism for the government, which you had the duty to represent in this chamber. You always remained dignified and humane; in other words, you remained true to yourself.

The force of your character truly shone in these difficult moments: for instance, in debates that held a fundamental significance for you personally, such as the conflict between Israel and Palestine or Canada’s official languages. You remained measured, dignified and balanced. I commend you for the example you set and for your steady leadership.

As Government Representative, you acted in an important way to enshrine the principles of an independent Senate within our Rules, with the help of Senator Lankin. The changes you brought forward will have a lasting impact on this institution. You leave a great legacy in the Senate and in Canada as a whole.

Senator Gold, there were three of us senators from Quebec — you, Senator Mégie and I — who were sworn in on the same day. I still remember it like it was yesterday. These memories remind me of how little time we really have in the Senate and how important it is that we give it our all and make our time here count. I can say, Senator Gold, that few have done as much as you. You’re leaving behind a lasting legacy.

I’m pleased to know that you will now have more time for Nancy, your two children, your grandchildren, your family and your community, who will be very happy to no longer have to share you with us.

Senator Gold, all senators from the Independent Senators Group wish you a wonderful retirement with your loved ones. I know your contribution to Canada is far from over. We wish you the very best in all your endeavours. Thank you. Meegwetch.

Honourable senators, it is a twist of fate, and with a great deal of irony, that our colleague Senator Marc Gold — a lawyer, constitutional expert and academic who trained those headed for the bench — now faces one of the last vestiges of constitutional discrimination in Canada: the dreadful, but constitutional, mandatory Senate retirement. The Senate is one of the last remaining places in Canada where your workplace says to you, “Happy birthday and, by the way, you are fired. Hand in your keys and your pass.”

Many distinguished Canadians have accepted the title of “senator” over the last century and a half. We also accepted the responsibility to represent and be the voice of our province and region.

While we all carry the title of “senator,” there are some individuals who go above that and deserve more. Senator Gold is one of those individuals. If the title “gentleman senator” were an official moniker, Marc, you would have that designation.

Over the last few years, I have had the honour to work with Senator Gold as the Government Representative. At the leadership table he had the difficult task — at times, an impossible task — of shepherding the government’s legislative agenda through the Senate. As the “Senate whisperer” to the government, he conducted himself with distinction, courage and tenacity, in addition to demonstrating an unwavering dedication to his role and to the Senate. At times, he advanced the government’s business with a golden touch.

While there were some tense times at the leadership table — and there were too many to count — Senator Gold always, and without fault, acted with respect towards leaders, senators and staff. As I said before, he is a true gentleman. His participation in this chamber will be missed.

However, I will not miss the Saturday and Sunday telephone calls. While my interactions with him on weekends were important and fruitful, they did lead to some misunderstandings. Having to answer the telephone and move to another room for a private call did leave my wife wondering, from time to time, if there was something else going on.

To my colleague and friend Senator Marc Gold, you will be missed in this place. I am sure that your next life chapter will involve more time in the classroom and on stage with your guitar. I hope you find ways to combine them both at the same time.

I would say, Marc — and Senator LaBoucane-Benson talked about you being a lousy poker player in terms of your facial expressions and your reactions — you are the most human person I have had the privilege of meeting, at all times a human. I would just like to say thank you. My life has been enriched as a result of working with you, talking to you and listening to you. On behalf of the Canadian Senators Group, I wish you a happy and restful retirement.

Honourable senators, on behalf of the Progressive Senate Group I would like to associate myself with all of the comments made thus far.

Marc, it is a hard act to conclude, but I am going to reflect on Lord Peter Hennessy, both a friend and well-noted historian, who has written the book on the British machinery of government and parliamentary practice. He coined the phrase “hidden wiring.” In fact, he wrote a book called The Hidden Wiring which is about how governments work behind the scenes and the unseen connections that are essential to success.

I reflected on the fact that many people have talked about your role as the Government Representative in the Senate. I would like to take a few minutes to talk about the hidden wiring of representing the Senate to the government. Senator Tannas referred to it as being the “Senate whisperer,” whereas I’m making it an issue of the machinery of government. It is important for us to recall what we mean by that.

We would not have had the Parliament of Canada Act amendments without the Government Representative in the Senate impressing upon the government the importance of those amendments and persuading the Minister of Finance to include the necessary matters that were in the budget.

Also, in 2022 the Senate was asked to quickly pass Bill C-12 on the old age supplement, if you will recall. To avoid additional delays, Senator Gold promised this chamber that technical amendments addressing errors that had been introduced in the Old Age Security Act would be addressed at the earliest legislative opportunity. The fix was included in the Budget Implementation Act, or BIA, shortly thereafter. We trusted you to deliver the message to the government.

We were asked to pass Bill C-13 on official languages, even though it contained a drafting error. Senator Gold gave us his word that it would be fixed at the earliest legislative opportunity.

We trusted him, and, again, behind the scenes he worked to deliver the goods.

Finally, on Bill C-11, the Online Streaming Act, the government asked the Senate to accept the House’s rejection of one of its most critical amendments, one that would have scoped out user-generated content from Bill C-11. Senator Gold made us a promise that we would appropriately scope out digital-first creators and user-generated content from Bill C-11 through the policy directive process following Royal Assent. But he went further, this time playing out his role representing the Senate to the government in the open, by including the following language in the Government Representative Office’s proposed message back to the House:

That the Senate take note of the Government of Canada’s stated intent that Bill C-11 will not apply to user-generated digital content and its commitment to issue policy direction to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission . . . .

In his remarks, Senator Gold stated that the message we would send to the other place with this motion was:

. . . that we, in the Senate, will be watching the government’s next steps very carefully with the expectation that they will be consistent with the promises they have made and that I have repeated to you in this chamber.

In other words, the hidden wiring of our institutional relationship is represented not just by the Government Representative in the Senate but by the Senate’s representative to the government.

I want to go back to Peter Hennessy again because he also had another well-coined phrase that he adopted several times in his history: He talked about the “good chap” theory of government. Now, I’m sure he meant it as a gender-neutral word, but “. . . a good chap knows what a good chap has to do and doesn’t need to be told.”

Senator Gold, you’re a good chap.