Newly appointed senators, you may have taken your place among us today, on your undoubtedly busy first day, without noticing the details of this magnificent chamber. I invite you to allow yourselves to be entranced by the charm and solemnity of this remarkable historic chamber.

There is so much history in this chamber. For 150 years, senators have gathered, deliberated and debated here. New senators, you are now part of the 961 senators who have sat in this chamber in Canadian history. Congratulations.

The faces here change, but the raison d'être, an institution of sober second thought, a voice for Canadians no matter what the government of the day is, and a safeguard for democracy, does not.

However, there are going to be some changes in the Senate to better reflect reality. Over the past few years, we have made essential changes to rebuild Canadians' confidence in this noble institution, including numerous administrative changes that seek to improve the transparency, effectiveness and sound management of our institution. The fact that 2,700 Canadians applied to fill the 21 vacant seats shows that, despite hard times, the Senate is still a highly attractive institution.

Any changes to the Senate's process for developing bills and its mandate — inherited from the Westminster model — to act as the grand inquest of the nation must be made wisely and must protect the essential role the Senate plays in Parliament. We must show restraint and avoid changing rules just to put a stop to the incessant requests for reform so that we do not end up with an unrecognizable institution that cannot function properly and is unable to fulfil its core mission of protecting the rights of the voiceless, minorities and the regions against any abuses by the government of the day.

The Prime Minister continues to implement his vision for change in the Senate. He promised that the people appointed to this chamber would not be affiliated with any party, that they would be independent, and that they would vote according to their principles and not in allegiance with or on the instructions of the person who appointed them. There will be some distance between you and the current government that will give you the freedom to vote on bills according to your own conscience, to be free agents. The Prime Minister assured Canadians of that. The purpose of your presence here is therefore not to promote the government's agenda by passing its flawed bills in the Senate.

I must say that we are very pleased to have almost a full chamber again, and we will by next week. This is necessary for democracy and providing Canadians with diverse voices from across the country that are representative of their own.

Senators have unique freedoms and responsibilities. Many politicians are motivated by re-election, but that is not something we need to worry about. Your sense of ethics and duty guides your conduct and the decisions you make on behalf of the people. You are their voice, their messenger in this place.

Louis Brandeis, an American lawyer and Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, once said:

The most important political office is that of the private citizen.

You are here to represent the Canadian people. To do that, you must find out what they think and convey their ideas to the Senate and its committees. Listen to your communities, to the regions you represent, to the people you meet. Make an effort to meet Canadians and, above all, listen to them. Listen more than you speak. I believe that the mark of a true representative is the ability to listen and to act independently.

Having come here from different backgrounds, from law and the arts to the environment, business, engineering and theatre, we bring complementary skills to the table, and we will serve all Canadians competently and diligently.

We have joining us now, astute Canada-Asia trade advocate, Senator Yuen Pau Woo, who once said of two Chinese pandas who were starting their 10-year visit to Canada that they would be:

. . . a doorway for Canadians to learn more about other aspects of China which are perhaps not quite as cuddly.

Very well observed, senator.

I am also impressed by our new senator, Gwen Boniface, who was the first woman appointed as Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police and the first female President of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police. She founded a wonderful non- profit organization created to protect child victims of sexual exploitation. Senator, I congratulate you on your compassionate approach.

Senator Kim Pate, the former Executive Director of the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies, said, before she was appointed, that women represent the fastest growing segment of the prison population. I look forward to hearing your views on this matter and to working with you to introduce measures that will address this inequity.

We are also joined by Senator René Cormier. The former President of the Société Nationale de l'Acadie, the organization that promotes Acadian artists internationally, has worked in theatre, right here at the National Arts Centre. We look forward to working with this proud Acadian.

Senator Patricia Bovey, as an avid art historian, you will be in awe walking through this building. That never goes away. Senator Bovey is currently writing her next book, The Western Voice in Canadian Art. We wish you luck with that endeavour, senator.

Senator Nancy Hartling will bring a strong voice on women's issues that we can all absorb. She has spent her life running a not- for-profit group called Support for Single Parents. Thank you, senator.

Senator Marilou McPhedran, an esteemed human rights lawyer, I enjoy reading your story in the media about when you heard you would be appointed, heading home on a bus when your cellphone rang, "Hello, Marilou. This is the Prime Minister speaking." I remember when I received the call in Home Hardware. Those moments you never forget. Congratulations.

Senator Bernard, a fierce protector of human rights, changed the services provided by child protection agencies to Black children and families, in part by bringing about the legislative amendments to the Children and Family Services Act in the early 1990s. Senator Bernard comes from a family of 13 children. Welcome to this big family, Senator.

We welcome Senator Renée Dupuis who has a legal background. She was a member of the Canadian Human Rights Act Review Panel. What an important responsibility and challenge! The Senate will be enriched by your presence, Senator.

Senator Howard Wetston is another judge who is joining the Senate. It will be a privilege to sit with you. I will be pleased to hear your legal views.

I must applaud the cultural diversity in the latest waves of appointments. This includes sharp businessman Senator Sarabjit Marwah, former Vice-Chairman and Chief Operating Officer of Scotiabank, who was named one of Toronto Life's 50 Most Influential People in 2013. Wow.

We are also welcoming Senator Lucie Moncion, who is very active in the francophone community. She was President and CEO of the Alliance des caisses populaires de l'Ontario, whose asset growth nearly tripled — to $1.4 billion — under her leadership. We therefore have another astute businesswoman joining our ranks.

We also have with us Senator Diane Griffin, a leader in conservation and former P.E.I. provincial Deputy Minister of Environmental Resources and the author of "Atlantic Wildflowers." She will definitely add a greener thumb to the Senate chamber.

Senator Tony Dean is a former professor at the School of Public Policy and Governance. We welcome you to the chamber, and we applaud the expertise you gained in your role as Secretary of the Cabinet in the Dalton McGuinty government. Welcome to the Senate of Canada.

In 2013, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made it clear that he thought the Senate had a very significant purpose. He defended the Senate as a necessary counterweight to the elected House of Commons and praised most senators for doing extraordinary work. "To want to abolish it is demagoguery," he said. "We'll have to improve it."

On January 29, 2014, when the Prime Minister expelled his senators from his Liberal caucus, he said that he believes there were two problems with the Senate: partisanship and political patronage. He also said that if he were elected Prime Minister, he would commit to reform the senators' appointment process to ensure that the Senate will once again become independent and a place of sober second thought on public policy.

He also said, as The Telegram quoted on January 30, 2014, that if the Senate had a purpose, it was to check the extraordinary power of the Prime Minister and his cabinet, especially under a majority government.

If the Senate serves a purpose at all, it is to act as a check on the extraordinary power of the Prime Minister and his office, especially in a majority government.

I am confident that the new senators will respect the Prime Minister's wise words in their work in this place. Through his statements, the Prime Minister is calling on you to have one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the Canadian people, whom we serve. Through his statements, the Prime Minister is also encouraging you to be independent — independent of him, even though he appointed you. Do not abide any undue pressure from his office, his ministers, his representatives or any third parties involved in the Prime Minister's Office.

I assume that no senator would blindly support certain bills that will be introduced by the government that appointed you to the Senate, nor should you blindly oppose legislation that may come from opposition groups. You must evaluate each bill on its merit and on how it might benefit Canadians, taking into account the regions and minorities.

You have been selected by the Prime Minister based on your merit, and not political patronage. It is now up to you, honourable senators, to prove this to all Canadians. We, the veterans, are here to welcome you. We will do everything we can to welcome you properly and to change the composition of our committees so that you may participate fully in your respective roles and assume your responsibilities and duties in the great Senate traditions. There is no doubt that you all have impressive records and you certainly deserve to sit among us. We look forward to working with you, listening to you, debating with you, and considering your views on the various issues up for discussion in committee.

The Senate is the chamber of sober second thought, a quality control, if you will. A second look at things can pick up legislative gaps, constitutional impasses, mistakes or suggested amendments that make legislation more valuable.

We are all activists here. As U.S. politician Ross Perot once said, "The activist is not the man who says the river is dirty. The activist is the man who cleans up the river."

I look forward to working with each and every one of you. Thank you again. Congratulations and welcome to the big family in the Senate of Canada.