SENATORS’ STATEMENTS — Tributes

Honourable senators, on behalf of the Independent Senators Group, it is my pleasure to pay tribute to our colleague and friend Senator Donna Dasko as she prepares to retire from the Senate of Canada.

Since her appointment in 2018, Senator Dasko has brought to this chamber an extraordinary combination of intellect, integrity and public service.

Throughout her distinguished career as one of Canada’s leading public opinion researchers, she has helped Canadians better understand themselves and the issues shaping our country. In the Senate, she has continued that work with the same rigour and commitment to evidence-based decision making.

Senator Dasko has been a thoughtful and influential voice on matters ranging from democratic institutions and public policy to gender equality and social inclusion.

Since co-founding the not-for-profit Equal Voice in 2001, she has helped to energize a generation of women to get involved in public life and elected to Parliament.

Within the Independent Senators Group, Donna has been a valued colleague, whose wisdom and generosity have enriched our work and contributed enormously to a more modern and independent Senate. She has always been willing to share her expertise and contribute constructively to the deliberations that make this institution stronger.

What stands out most, however, is the spirit with which she has approached her responsibilities. She has demonstrated that public service is at its best when it is guided by principle, informed by evidence and carried out with humility and respect.

Senator Dasko, as you conclude your time in the Senate, we thank you for your many contributions to this institution and to Canada. Your legacy will endure in the debates you have shaped and the policies you have improved. Your work has set an example for all of us and will continue to resonate in the growing presence and impact of women in politics across Canada.

Beyond your remarkable accomplishments, we will also remember your good humour, your kind and considerate nature, and the warmth and positivity you brought to every room. Your laughter and joyful spirit made working with you not only meaningful but truly enjoyable.

We wish you every happiness and success in the next chapter of your life. May it be filled with good health and the satisfaction of knowing that you have served your country with distinction.

You will be missed. Thank you.

Honourable senators, I have to say that rearranging the furniture in here left us with a bit less space. That’s obvious every time we stand up.

Honourable senators, I rise today on behalf of the Government Representative’s Office to pay tribute to our colleague the Honourable Senator Donna Dasko.

From her research background to her polling works, we know Senator Dasko likes numbers. Therefore, I thought it befitting to compile a few statistics to mark her time in the Senate.

First nominated 2,926 days ago, Senator Dasko has risen 70 times to ask the government a question, 42 times to deliver a speech on policy and 23 times to mark special moments with a statement.

Surveys are important tools of science, enabling us to cut through prejudice and prefabricated beliefs to gain a glimpse of the actual world view of our fellow citizens. Senator Dasko brought her expertise to the Senate with the knowledge that the quality of our analysis was as important as the quality of our data. In this, Senator Dasko was exemplary in how she used samples of public opinion to inform her work without letting herself be defeated by an initial grumpy response or be blinded by the volatility of popularity. When Senator Dasko wields statistics, it is done with nuance, forethought and an understanding of their strengths and limitations.

Through such interventions, Senator Dasko often reminded us that we have a duty to preserve freedom in the world and to stand alongside Ukrainians as they fight for their sovereignty.

Likewise, from junk food to nicotine to the regulation of our media, Senator Dasko firmly believed that, given the right information, Canadians would make the right choices. As a result of her sustained advocacy, Canadians can now make better choices at the grocery store with new labels outlining potentially harmful contents, and news outlets compete on a more even playing field.

In her first speech on legislation, Senator Dasko noted that:

 . . . [while] institutions can provide comfort and stability for many, for others they can represent a life of unhappiness and entrapment.

This personifies Senator Dasko’s work here in the Senate, where she has pushed not only her colleagues but the institution as a whole to better serve all Canadians.

Accordingly, she turned her attention toward Parliament as she cofounded Equal Voice. At the time, in 2001, women made up 20% of MPs and 33% of senators. Twenty-five years later, they now make up 31% of the other place and 56% of the Senate. Twelve women have also become premiers. Senator Dasko’s advocacy for women in politics will carry on shaping generations to come, as women propelled by her work continue to bring their own contributions to our society.

As a final note, it is important to highlight a statistic of Senator Dasko that would render bashful the most confident among us, and this may even be underestimated. In addition to her parliamentary duties, Senator Dasko volunteered with six organizations. After long days of work, however exhausted, Senator Dasko would show up to meetings, happy to provide insights and support for important causes.

Senator Dasko, I wish you the best in retirement, and I hope that, as you enjoy restful afternoons sipping on a drink with a clear health label, the only statistics you continue to track are those of your tennis matches.

Honourable senators, I rise today to pay tribute to our colleague and friend Senator Donna Dasko as she prepares to close this chapter in her career.

Senator Dasko arrived to this chamber in 2018 as one of the country’s most respected voices in public opinion, a respected business leader and a fierce advocate for women’s representation as the co-founder of Equal Voice.

She spent decades at the helm of Environics Research Group Ltd., tracking and analyzing major public policy shifts shaping our nation, and she brought that exact same reliance on data, facts and rigorous research to our committee tables and to this floor every single day.

She was fully equipped to bring her immense experience and her own deep convictions to the tapestry of different backgrounds, varying ideologies and deeply held principles in this chamber.

Now, it is no secret, honourable colleagues, to anyone, least of all to Senator Dasko herself, that she and I do not often see eye to eye on fundamental questions of public policy. We come from different philosophical schools, and I think it’s fair to say that we have spent the last eight years trying to save the country from each other’s ideas.

But all joking aside, honourable senators, we both have always believed that true public service isn’t about uniform agreement; it’s about the integrity of the debate. That is exactly how Senator Dasko approached every issue in this chamber and at the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications, where I had the privilege to work very closely with her.

Senator Dasko has proven herself to be an incredibly principled parliamentarian. You always know exactly where she stands — not because she is rigid but because her positions are built on a solid foundation of rigorous research, sharp intellect and an unwavering commitment to the public good. Even when we disagreed on the fundamentals, I have always held the utmost respect for her principled stance and her commitment to this institution.

We did, at times, find some real common ground as well. For me, that was found in her vital work recently on Bill S-214. Her initiative to ensure that foreign states are held financially accountable by seizing and disposing of their assets is a testament to her foresight. It is precise, timely and fiercely principled. I think it was the absolute perfect way for her to close a wonderful career in this institution.

Senator Dasko, the Senate is at its absolute best when it is filled with people who challenge us to be sharper, better prepared and more focused on the evidence. You have certainly done that in your time here, and this institution is better for it.

On behalf of the Conservative Senate caucus, thank you for your service to Ontario, the Senate and Canada. I wish you, your children and your family the very best in the bright chapters that you have ahead. Thank you so much.

Honourable senators, it is my pleasure to join in the tributes to Senator Donna Dasko and to do so on behalf of the Progressive Senate Group.

While I knew her work over many years, I asked to deliver this tribute because I had the good fortune to become good friends during our time together here at the Senate. We have both worked together to advance the issues of an independent Senate, the role of think tanks, a robust news media, democracy and a number of things that Senator Housakos stands against.

I say that in a good spirit, Senator Housakos.

I have always appreciated her collaborative and welcoming style, her vast experience and her evidence-based rigour. I particularly valued working with her on the Transport and Communications Committee, including on the issues of CBC/Radio-Canada and local news.

For the past eight years and four days so far, Senator Dasko has served this country in the Senate and, before that, through her lifetime of listening carefully to Canadians and providing deep sociological expertise to legislative review.

For decades, when Canadians wanted to know what Canada was thinking, they looked to Donna Dasko’s work as the long‑time Senior Vice-President of Environics Research Group Ltd.

In this chamber, as has been mentioned, she has spoken about gender equality in Canada and has been an unyielding champion of women’s rights. She co-founded Equal Voice, which is dedicated to electing more women to all levels of political office in Canada.

Whether pressing for gender-based analysis in budgeting or introducing bills to modernize national statistics or promoting women in Canadian politics, her Senate policy interventions are part of her outstanding legacy for equality.

She cared deeply not only about what the Senate does but about how Canadians understand and trust this institution.

She recently commissioned a public opinion poll, carried out by Nanos Research, which found that 79% of Canadians prefer the independent process of appointments of senators, compared to 5% who wanted to return to the old partisan system — an important last nod to the reform of the last 10 years.

Senator Dasko has used her voice to underscore the importance of defending Ukrainian sovereignty, strengthening Canada’s humanitarian and military assistance and sustaining sanctions against Russian aggression.

I am particularly pleased, honourable senators, that she will co‑sponsor with me and a few MPs think tank day on the Hill in September, and she will be back for that.

Donna, thank you for your decades of public service, your dedication to the truth and your tireless work to build a more equitable, inclusive, trustworthy and democratic Canada. We wish you nothing but the best in your next career.

Question: How disappointed are you that Donna Dasko is retiring from the Senate? A) extremely disappointed, B) somewhat disappointed, C) neither disappointed nor delighted, D) somewhat philosophical, E) resigned and stoic.

On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being “not at all” and 10 being “a tremendous amount,” how much will you miss Senator Dasko’s charm, sharp analysis, intellectual enthusiasm and sardonic sense of humour?

The Oxford English Dictionary, or OED, defines a “Pole Star,” literally, as the North Star, Polaris. Figuratively, the OED says that a “polestar” is:

A person who . . . serves as a guide; a governing principle; a guiding light; (also) a centre of attraction.

For the last eight years, Donna Dasko has been not just our polling star but our Senate of Canada polestar. She has been a moral beacon, whether she was advocating for Ukraine, for more women to run for elected office or for an independent Senate, all backed up by her latest polling data. She’s been a guiding light on national security, the future of NATO, information privacy and the protection of Canada’s North.

What about “a centre of attraction”? Yes, that too. She is an indefatigable attender of conferences, receptions and parties. Whenever I would go to an event with Donna, I was always amazed that she knew everyone, and everyone knew her. I would stand there, awkward and self-conscious, inevitably fumbling my canapes and dripping food down my shirt while she held court, connecting with everyone with grace and aplomb.

When I was first appointed to the Senate, I never expected the depths of the friendships I would make here, but Donna Dasko, Julie Miville-Dechêne and I quickly became the “three musketeers.” In her speech on Bill C-48, way back in 2019, Donna noted that we had forged unshakeable bonds of friendship during our committee travels to Prince Rupert and Terrace, B.C. Those bonds only deepened in the ensuing years, as our trio took long walks, debated public policy and shared the “fancy fries” at Zoe’s, where Donna always insisted we get our post-committee Wednesday night table, right in the middle of the action where we could see and be seen.

Yet, whether Donna and I were arguing over Canadian broadcast policy or rhapsodizing over our mutual love of Ukrainian food, we were never bored and, I trust, never boring. Two Prairie girls with Eastern European roots, one from Winnipeg and one from Edmonton, still not quite believing our good fortune of being asked to serve Canadians in this chamber.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I will miss Donna about 100. Without her political courage, dry wit, incisive reasoning, passionate commitment to equality and unerring ability to find the best parties, this chamber will be a far less interesting place.

Honourable senators, I join others to pay tribute to Senator Dasko, who has made a lifetime of contributions to equality rights, political participation, polling and lawmaking.

What is the thread that connects her life’s work in these domains? The obvious answer is that she is committed to social justice, democracy and good governance, and has found multiple ways to advance these issues.

However, I think there is a deeper explanation that has to do with her training. Senator Dasko has a PhD in sociology and possesses that quality of thinking that the famous sociologist C. Wright Mills calls “the sociological imagination.” It is the capacity to distinguish between what Mills calls the “troubles” of individuals and the “issues” that face societies. Mills saw the potential of sociology as a discipline capable of imagining the future and foreshadowing it.

That is our Donna Dasko, whose work on equality rights, especially the representation of women in politics, imagined a better future and not only foreshadowed it, but agitated to make it happen through Equal Voice, of which she was a co-founder.

The sociologist in Senator Dasko could see the obstacles in the way of individual women who sought political office as well as the collective problem of not having more women in politics. She became a part of the solution when she was appointed to the upper house in 2018, at the time, bringing the share of women in the Senate to a then-record high of 45%. Even with gender parity in the Senate today, she is continuing to work on the foundations of equal representation through her Bill S-213, calling for more demographic information from the Chief Electoral Officer.

Her legislative interests echo the thinking of Jürgen Habermas, another giant in sociology. He believed in the importance of the public sphere and the role of national debate in shaping public policy. If you ever wondered about Senator Dasko’s fixation on leaders’ debates during an election, the answer is her sociology training.

Yet another famous sociologist Anthony Giddens once described polling as having a “double hermeneutic.” The first hermeneutic is the interpretation of the polling data, and the second is how the results of the poll can shape outcomes on that very issue. Senator Dasko not only understands the double hermeneutic but she has, in her opinion polling on the Senate, added a third hermeneutic, which is the application of her own agency and political action in fostering a more independent Senate.

If it weren’t for her polling on public perceptions of the Senate, we would not know that, in 2026, 79% of Canadians want future governments to continue to choose independent senators or that, for the first time in a decade of polling, positive impressions of the upper chamber outweigh negative ones.

It is the triple hermeneutic of Senator Dasko’s work in the Senate that has, in part, contributed to the steady improvement in public perceptions of the upper house.

I don’t know when we will have another sociologist and pollster appointed to the Senate, but in Senator Dasko we had someone who brought her expert training to the work of the upper house at the very time when changes to the Senate appointment process allowed for those skills to be applied effectively.

We will miss you, Donna, but you have taught us to have a “sociological imagination,” and we will do our best to live up to your example.

Honourable senators, it was a wonderful day for the people of Canada when Donna Dasko was appointed to the Senate. Donna is an intelligent, hard-working senator who has made a significant contribution to the collective work of this chamber over her eight years with us. Also, let me emphasize what a decent and delightful human being she is.

She came with a distinguished career as one of Canada’s best‑known pollsters and public opinion researchers with Environics Research Group. She has a PhD from the University of Toronto and later served as a fellow and instructor at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy.

Here in the Senate, she championed Senate reform based upon her perspective that appropriate modernization is necessary to maintain and build public confidence in our institution. In her speech on Motion No. 165, she said:

. . . most Canadians simply want a Senate that is going to work in their best interests regardless of partisan leaning.

Senator Dasko has been a fierce defender of the people of Ukraine, championing Ukrainian culture; shining a light on historical examples of tragedy and resilience, including speaking about the Holodomor; and standing up for Ukrainian freedom, sovereignty and democracy in the face of the ongoing illegal and immoral invasion by Russia. Senator Dasko’s recent sponsorship of Bill S-214, which amends the Special Economic Measures Act, disposal of foreign state assets, is just one example of her tireless efforts.

My final remarks will be about how Senator Dasko has worked hard to improve democratic legitimacy and public confidence in our institutions by ensuring the inclusion of women. Those two things are connected.

Before entering the Senate, she co-founded Equal Voice, one of Canada’s most influential non-partisan organizations promoting the election of women to public office, and she served as its national chair. She also co-founded the Campaign for an Equal Senate of Canada, which advocated for gender parity in the upper chamber — a big success there, Donna, brava!

Throughout her career, she has been involved with the Women’s Legal Education & Action Fund, which works to create gender equality through law, and numerous other initiatives focused on increasing women’s political participation.

Senator Dasko has spent her career uplifting women.

To honour my dear colleague and friend Donna, I will leave you with a quote from the play on Nellie McClung — your sister — and women’s suffrage, Nothing Less, by Ami McKay and Ken Schwartz:

Oh my sisters, rise together

Raise your voices do not rest.

Make your dreams from hope and passion

Set your sights on nothing less.

Colleagues, let’s honour and thank our colleague the Honourable Donna Dasko for always setting her sights on nothing less.