Senator Harder, right before Prime Minister Trudeau appointed you as Leader of the Government in the Senate, he appointed you as the head of his new Liberal government's transition team. One of the most important tasks of a federal government transition team is advising the Prime Minister on key appointments that must be made early in the government's mandate, which last fall included 22 Senate appointments. In their campaign platform, the Liberals promised to institute a new Senate appointment process, pledging non-partisanship and independence. The establishment of the Senate appointment process was one of the government's first major announcements, announced on December 4.

Senator Harder, when did you start your duties as head of the transition team? When did your duties conclude as head of the transition team? What was your precise involvement in formulating and implementing the Trudeau government's Senate appointment process, a process that, remarkably, concluded with your appointment by Prime Minister Trudeau as Leader of the Government in the Senate?

Hon. Peter Harder (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you very much for your question. I don't have the precise date, but if you tell me when the writ was dropped, it was the Friday before that that the Prime Minister, the then leader of the third party, asked if I would advise him on transition. That was the second time I had met him, and he asked if I would, based on my previous experience, provide him advice, which I was happy to do in that capacity.

Obviously, the outcome of the election was at best uncertain at that point, and as it evolved, I pursued my work in transition planning. As it turned out, of course, that work was utilized, and I became directly involved after the election until the government was sworn in.

I should add that I believe that was November 4, a Wednesday, and on the Friday of that week, I did brief the then cabinet on a number of transition issues, and that was my last engagement as a transition person. I did not speak with the Prime Minister or senior people until he asked if I would take this role.

I don't think it's a stretch of the imagination to have somebody with my background in this role, but I leave that to others to judge.

Senator Batters: Again, you didn't answer the last question I asked: What was your precise involvement in formulating and implementing the Trudeau government's Senate appointment process, a process that concluded with you as Leader of the Government in the Senate?

Senator Harder: With respect, I do think it's appropriate for me not to comment on private advice I gave in a role as transition —

An Hon. Senator: How is it private advice? It's the government.

Senator Plett: It's the government. It's not private.