Senate Social: An evening of meeting and tweeting
Rapid change is an inevitable symptom of forward progress. Recent innovations have revolutionized the way Canadians get their news, make their voices heard and interact with each other.
In the face of rapid change, the Senate is seeking to transform itself – namely modernizing how it connects with Canadians in the new digital landscape. By remaining at the forefront of digital innovation, the Senate is increasing its transparency, relevance and accessibility to all Canadians.
On March 1, 2017, the Honourable George J. Furey, Q.C., Speaker of the Senate, kicked off the evening at the “Senate Social: Where Politics and Media Meet and Tweet” event held at the Sir John A. MacDonald building.
Parliamentary employees together with members of the media gathered to celebrate the Senate’s new partnership with Twitter Canada and the rollout of its revamped website — two of the many steps the Senate is taking towards modernization.
Left to right: Senator Leo Housakos, CBC’s Waubgeshig Rice, Globe and Mail’s Robert Fife, Senate Speaker George J. Furey, Le Devoir’s Marie Vastel, Carleton University professor Stephen Fai, Senator Jane Cordy and Rory Capern of Twitter Canada.
Speaker Furey, along with Senators Jane Cordy, Leo Housakos and Chantal Petitclerc, relayed the utility of the new website and a bolstered social media presence in encouraging greater transparency within the Senate.
He described the new website as “not only beautiful, but highly functional and intuitive.”
“Canadians who want to know more about the Senate’s work can find information so much more easily than before,” Speaker Furey said.
The Senate’s modernization efforts also improve Canadians’ ability to engage in an open dialogue with parliamentarians.
“It is another window into the Senate — in fact it is a door through which we invite Canadians to participate in Parliament, to tell us their deeply-held beliefs, so that we can represent their interests with integrity and passion,” said Speaker Furey.
The Speaker invites all Canadians to peruse the new Senate website, to explore its innovative features like the Senate Virtual Tour, and to connect with the Senate like never before.
Geneviève Guindon from Senate Communications prepares Speaker Furey for his selfie shot in the Twitter lounge.