The Senate

Honourable senators, I rise today in support of the motion moved by Senator Verner on February 18, 2020, calling on the government to take the necessary steps to revoke the honorific style and title of “Honourable” from former senator Meredith.

In spite of his many proven violations of the Ethics and Conflict of Interest Code for Senators, Mr. Meredith is still using his status as a former senator for self-promotion purposes and to participate in public events.

On February 1, 2020, he was invited to speak at a Black History Month event. The organizers were not aware of Mr. Meredith’s troubled past when they invited him, and a number of stakeholders expressed their profound discomfort upon learning of his history. Robert Small, an African-Canadian artist who was also invited to speak, summed up this discomfort by saying, and I quote:

His actions are contradictory to the spirit of Black History Month. He made a mockery of what black men should stand for. It’s doing our community a disservice. . . .

Former Senator Meredith also did a great disservice to the upper house. As members of the Senate, we have a duty to defend its reputation. Revoking former Senator Meredith’s honorific title of “honourable” will fulfill this shared duty. I therefore invite you to support Senator Verner’s motion that the Senate call upon the Prime Minister to advise Her Excellency the Governor General to take the necessary steps to revoke the honorific style and title of “honourable” from former Senator Meredith.