Honourable senators, today I would like to extend a very warm welcome to seven new colleagues who were granted the privilege of membership in the upper chamber.

Please take a moment to contemplate the historic chamber in which we find ourselves. I never take my presence here for granted. Senators have been sitting in the same seats as you for nearly 150 years. Our chamber is home to many traditions, one of which is hard work. Following in your predecessors' footsteps is a major challenge. The Senate and its members have been at the heart of our democracy since Canada became a country.

Over the weeks and months to come, you will become familiar with the useful work we do in the Senate, which is characterized by high-level debates, indispensable committee studies, and our commitment to Canadians to speak on their behalf in this chamber and to promote measures that are in their interest.

Senator Peter Harder, you spent most of your career in government bureaucracy. Today, you are the Leader of the Government in the Senate. You will face the greatest challenge; I'm told your predecessor did a pretty good job.

Welcome, Peter. We are pleased that we can finally resume the Senate's Question Period, a very important part of democracy that occurs here on Parliament Hill. We will use this opportunity to ask the Trudeau government key questions on matters that concern Canadians and that they seek answers to.

Other senior bureaucrats have sat in this chamber before now. Arthur Tremblay and Roch Bolduc come to mind. They were two senior Quebec government officials who were architects of Quebec's Quiet Revolution. Do not hesitate to be inspired by their exemplary work as you fulfill your duties.

The Senate is the chamber of sober second thought and ensures what I like to call "quality control." The purpose of our second look is to identify any legislative gaps, constitutional impasses and unintended inaccuracies, and to propose amendments to improve bills. As Justice Binnie said so well in his recent ruling on arbitration, the role of the Senate is to act as "the grand inquest of the nation".

Some of our senators have been sitting in the Senate for over 25 years. They have made an invaluable contribution to our institution. I am sure that if you asked, they would be pleased to share their experiences and knowledge with you. You will see that senators work very well together and that we are proud of the collaborative approach that we have adopted.

Senator André Pratte, I am sure that you will put your journalism experience to use in drafting legislation. This chamber already benefits from the contribution of other distinguished journalists, including Senator Joan Fraser, a former editorial writer at The Gazette. You can learn from Senator Fraser's meticulous and dedicated work.

You are also following in the footsteps of one of our very dear friends, Senator Pierre Claude Nolin, a top-notch Conservative political organizer appointed by the Right Honourable Brian Mulroney. In 30 years of public life, I can count on one hand the number of times I have met such a wise, friendly, competent and generous person. His respect for the Senate was exemplary and unwavering. Senator Nolin firmly believed in the Senate's role of international representation. To that end, he was particularly active in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. He held a number of positions until his death, including that of Speaker of our chamber. Senator Nolin built a solid reputation on the quality of his interventions. He proved that a partisan appointment is no less worthy. I hope that filling the seat left vacant by Senator Nolin will inspire you in your role and your approach.

Senator Sinclair, former judge, you are now part of the jury in the Senate. Part of our mandate here is to ensure we take a second look at legislation and ascertain whether it needs amendments to provide the best worth for Canadians.

We also ensure that the needs of marginalized Canadians and minorities are considered. We are counting on the experience you've gained by handling key aboriginal concerns over the course of your career, and we will rely on your contributions. You will surely benefit from the advice of other senators, including Senator Andreychuk, another judge, who may be able to help you transition from decision-maker to legislator. We all seek her expertise and wisdom before taking a position, especially on matters relating to human rights and international relations.

Senator Omidvar, I've heard that you have spent nearly three decades fighting to make Canada more inclusive. An expert on immigration and diversity, I anticipate that you too will form an important part of the Senate's work to ensure minority concerns are addressed in the study of bills. Welcome.

I encourage you to seek the advice of Senator Ataullahjan or Senator Jaffer to fully grasp the Senate's current approach to this matter. In addition, Senator Ngo, who was an immigration judge, can surely help you in your deliberations.

I welcome Senator Raymonde Gagné, who was formerly the president of the Université de Saint-Boniface in Winnipeg. We are pleased to once again have a Franco-Manitoban here in the chamber. You and Senator Sinclair are replacing two distinguished Manitoba senators. Senator Maria Chaput, who left recently and who championed French minority language rights across Canada with dignity and determination, worked very hard to help francophone communities retain their identity and continue to survive.

The second Manitoba seat being filled today was occupied by Senator JoAnne Buth. As an agricultural expert, Senator Buth was determined to fight for the agricultural sector in the Senate, as she was very familiar with its needs. She sat on the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry, and considered the agricultural industry to be "critical to Canada and to Canada's reputation internationally."

It will be to your great advantage to heed the advice on official languages provided by our colleagues, especially Senator Tardif and Senator Poirier. They are passionate champions of our efforts in this area.

Senator Frances Lankin, the Trudeau Liberal government has appointed a former NDP Ontario minister. I think this is a historical first in the Senate, even though your former colleague Bob Rae made history by crossing the floor in the House of Commons. We look forward to engaging with you in a constructive way. Senator Lankin, you and Senator Harder replace two Ontario senators who were very important in this institution.

The first was Senator Irving Gerstein. I invite you to read his final speech, in which he talked about his role and his views on partisanship in the Senate, which are similar to those of Justice Binnie, who said in a recent decision that partisanship represents the roots and branches of a political institution. Under his leadership, the Banking, Trade and Commerce Committee addressed crucial issues, such as improving our knowledge of the illegal world of money laundering and understanding the financing of terrorist activities abroad.

Senator Hugh Segal is the second Ontario senator to be replaced today. Allow me to confirm — and as caucus leader, I am well placed to say this — that Senator Segal is truly an independent thinker. He was appointed to the Senate by Liberal Prime Minister Paul Martin even though he had a very Conservative career.

Senator Segal's time in this chamber was remarkable. As the chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, he courageously tackled challenges with the conviction he is known for. We can also qualify his contribution as the chair of the Special Senate committee on Anti-Terrorism as exemplary. Senator Segal said that he did not accept an appointment to the Senate in order to be accommodating and avoid making waves. He posed the following question: If we did not tackle difficult issues, why would we have a Senate?

Senator Chantal Petitclerc, you are already known as a Paralympic wheelchair racing champion. I am sure that your attitude as a go-getter will get you off to a good start with your files in the Senate. You will be replacing the great Senator Andrée Champagne, who served as a Conservative minister of state for youth during her term in the House of Commons. An artist herself, she advocated for the arts all of her life. She was very involved in the cultural community, was a great advocate for the Francophonie, and kept closely in touch with the people she represented. As Conservative as she was, she was appointed by Prime Minister Paul Martin. As you can see, partisanship has never been a problem in the Senate.

Please do not hesitate to seek advice from another great Olympic athlete, Nancy Greene Raine, who will surely be delighted to share her ideas on how you can put your perseverance and determination to good use in carrying out your duties as a senator.

As you already know or will soon learn, our number one priority is modernizing the Senate. Over the past three years, we have increased our efforts to make the Senate an accountable, transparent, relevant and effective institution that respects the best interests of Canadians.

Honourable colleagues, let's be honest. A rather grim chapter in our Senate's history has just come to a close. The rules governing the use of public resources were not strict enough and did not encourage full disclosure, which caused confusion. Under the leadership of the Conservative and Liberal caucuses, we made significant changes and, as a result, our institution has become stronger, more committed and more attentive to the needs of Canadians. We are determined to restore the public's confidence in our Parliament and we will not let old scandals tarnish the reputation of this important democratic institution. However, we have learned an important lesson in humility. We must never forget that our primary purpose here in the Senate is to represent Canadians and their best interests.

We need to pursue our modernization program. Senate operations need to be reformed so that this institution can become the responsible institution it is meant to be. Canadians need us to act as a chamber of sober second thought and, as the inquest of the nation, a legislative chamber of the highest order.

Dear new colleagues, Senator Harder, Senator Gagné, Senator Lankin, Senator Omidvar, Senator Petitclerc, Senator Pratte and Senator Sinclair, we look forward to your contributions towards completing our work to modernize the Senate and to restore Canadians' trust in our institution. Once again, welcome to the Senate. As Benjamin Franklin said, diligence is the mother of good luck. That is what I wish for you. Thank you.