Senate modernization, the transitioning of the Official Languages Commissioner and a celebration of indigenous youth were some of last week’s highlights. 

Government

The Senate of Canada was conceived by the Fathers of Confederation by drawing inspiration from the Westminster model. Although our Senate differs in many ways from the House of Lords, the British upper chamber remains a useful reference for our institution.

The House of Lords has changed over the years. Hereditary peers are just about a thing of the past, its role as an appeal court ended with the creation of the UK Supreme Court and its relationship with the House of Commons has evolved.

In that respect, the House of Lords respects the Salisbury convention, which means that it generally won’t oppose any legislation promised in an election campaign, even though it can.

But the House of Lords goes even further: as the Right Hon. Lord Wakeham told the Committee on Senate Modernization, the Lords no longer contest the principle of House bills when they have been passed by a large majority.

I strongly believe, along with other senators, that the Senate must modernize by becoming less partisan, increasing its legitimacy in the eyes of the public and rethinking its relationship with the House of Commons.

We will have to decide what to do when the other place rejects amendments. Is it legitimate for the Senate to insist they pass?

Will the Senate of Canada follow in the steps of the House of Lords? I hope so.

Opposition

It's been a busy but productive week for the Senate Conservative caucus.

Mrs. Madeleine Meilleur testified before the Committee of the Whole on June 5th, to answer questions regarding her nomination for Commissioner of Official Languages. We joined with a number of stakeholders in minority language communities who demanded, with reason, a transparent and non-partisan process. Several questions addressed the appearances of partisanship that tainted the nomination process.

On June 7th, the Minister of Canadian Heritage announced that Mrs. Meilleur withdrew her candidacy. This represents a major victory for linguistic minorities and the organizations fighting for their rights. The Official Opposition in the Senate, on behalf of Canadian minority groups from all regions, will not accept an appointment process that does not respect the importance of impartiality in all Officers of Parliament roles. We insist that the consultation requirement in the Official Languages Act be respected in an open and transparent way. See the statement on the appointment of the Commissioner of Official Languages.

Senator Claude Carignan also obtained the government’s support for his bill, S-231, that aims to protect journalistic sources. This important legislation would provide our country with its first law protecting journalistic sources and whistleblowers. Congratulations on this excellent work‎!

Bill C-7 was also adopted with several amendments proposed by our Senators. Great efforts were made to improve the bill for our RCMP officers.

In honour of the unveiling of the Speaker’s portrait, we congratulate Senator Leo Housakos, for his service to the Senate and to Canadians.

Senate Liberals

Last Wednesday, for Aboriginal History Month, the Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples invited nine extraordinary indigenous youth from across the country to testify to our current study on a new relationship between Canada and First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples.

These inspiring youths were also part of our larger Indigenize the Senate event that ran throughout the day and included another fifty high school students from the Ottawa area.

The day was blessed and opened with Cree Elder Elaine Kickonsway performing a smudging ceremony in the Senate Foyer. Inuit Elder Manitok Thompson followed with some insightful prayers and thoughts as she lighted the kudlik. A metis jig was performed, followed by an indigenous drumming circle. These ceremonies allowed us to start the day with clear hearts and minds.

Throughout the day the youth participated in exercises to learn the history of indigenous people in Canada and then in visioning circles where they could articulate what kind of future they envisioned for indigenous and non-indigenous Canadians in a new relationship.

In the evening, we heard formal testimony from those nine indigenous youth on their experiences and how they envisioned a new relationship between indigenous peoples and Canada. Their presentations were humbling, passionate, insightful and provided the committee with refreshing testimony to include and inform our study.

We had an amazing meeting with these nine indigenous youth leaders as they provided us with their gems of wisdom, rooted us in reality, but also gave us some concrete ideas to move forward.

Independent Senators Group

This week, we catch a glimpse of the Senate through the eyes of Independent Senator Chantal Petitclerc (Quebec).

Six months after the introduction of An Act to amend the Tobacco Act and the Non-smokers' Health Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts, which I had the honour of sponsoring, it was passed by the Senate and sent to the House of Commons.

This government bill would introduce plain and standardized packaging for tobacco products to make tobacco packages and products less attractive and, in so doing, protect the health of young adults. Its second objective is to establish a new legislative and regulatory framework to manage vaping products in a way that would that would both protect young people while protecting adult smokers’ access to this less harmful alternative to tobacco.

I am proud of the Senate’s work to reach this objective, including the 12 amendments that address concerns raised throughout committee hearings. This bill will no doubt be critical in the fight against smoking.  

Today, 3.8 million Canadians smoke and 37,000 Canadians die each year from tobacco use. These figures are alarming. Don’t forget that everyone wins when you oppose smoking.