My question is for the Leader of the Government in the Senate. Senator Harder, when you testified at the Senate Modernization Committee you said this:

. . . in a more independent complementary and less partisan Senate . . . there should no longer be an organized official opposition caucus.
Senator Harder, you are the Leader of the Government in the Senate. You willingly referred to yourself as the Government Representative in the Senate. From the answers you gave me here last week, clearly you aren't getting your direction to make such a shocking statement from the cabinet committee table.

Senator Harder, you represent the views of the Trudeau government to the Senate. So who in the Trudeau government gave you the direction to advocate for the destruction of the opposition in a democratic chamber of Parliament? Any chance Gerry Butts is the man behind that curtain?

Hon. Peter Harder (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for the question. I would refer you to the broader testimony in which I indicated that I was presenting my views for consideration.

I can assure the honourable senator that these views are views that I have written about and spoken about before the Modernization Committee, and I would encourage an engagement with all senators on how we should shape the Senate as it evolves.

Senator Batters: Senator Harder, you are the Government Representative in the Senate. They're not your personal views. You represent the views of the Trudeau government to the Senate. So I realize opposition may be inconvenient for the Trudeau government, but you didn't answer my question, so I will ask it once again.

Who in the Trudeau government gave you the direction to advocate for the destruction of the opposition in a democratic chamber of Parliament?

Senator Harder: Again I would refer the honourable senator to my testimony as well as more recently an article published by Policy Options in which I talk about how an evolving Senate might — might — consider the office of the representative of the opposition in the Senate.