Honourable senators, in May 2017, Senator McPhedran called the attention of the Senate, all of us, to the important opportunity we have to review our principles and procedures with a view to ensuring that the Senate has the strongest, most effective policies and mechanisms possible to respond to complaints against senators of sexual or other kinds of harassment.

Senators Bernard, Pate, Lankin, Hartling, Mitchell and Galvez all rose to contribute in a variety of consistent and constructive ways to the debate on this critical and timely inquiry.

In the meantime, Bill C-65, An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code (harassment and violence), the Parliamentary Employment and Staff Relations Act and the Budget Implementation Act, 2017, No. 1 — a piece of legislation designed to address harassment and violence in the workplace has been passed by both ourselves and our colleagues in the other place and received Royal Assent last week.

The current Senate Policy on the Prevention and Resolution of Harassment in the Workplace was adopted by the Senate on June 22, 2009, more than nine years ago. The previous policy had been adopted in 1993. Our colleagues on the Human Resources Subcommittee — who I believe may be meeting at this moment — of the Senate’s Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration, CIBA, have been working diligently to examine and propose improvements to the aforementioned Senate harassment policy. We all anticipate their report in the coming weeks.

When I thought about why I wanted to speak to this inquiry and what it was I wanted to say, I was pulled from two ends of the spectrum — from the very personal one to the higher-level, more general one. My own experience of harassment is unfortunately probably similar to that of many other women of my generation. Although I clearly benefit from my status as a White, well-educated, able-bodied, heterosexual, Canadian-born woman, I have experienced, in previous workplaces, sexual assault, unwanted sexual touching, sexual harassment, severe bullying and humiliation. I have been told to shut my trap by my supervisor at a meeting of international university professors for whom I was doing work as a graduate student. I had my breast fondled by a funder while working in the field as a young international development worker. I was told my job would be under threat if I didn’t comply with the wishes of a colleague when I was a university vice-president. I wasn’t admitted through the front, main entrance door of a private Toronto club for an event I had organized with a prominent Latin American economist. I was directed to the side door, while the men I had invited walked in the front door freely. Needless to say, I didn’t attend and was fearful of the repercussions of my actions. Would I lose my job? I had three young daughters and a grad student husband who were dependent on me at the time.

In another situation, while in a position of authority and with senior management responsibility, I had to deal appropriately, decisively and fairly with a male staff member who had sexually harassed a number of our younger female staff. I also had to deal with transparency, accountability and caring with those women who had experienced this inexcusable harassment under my watch. How ironic to be promoting social justice, gender equity and women’s empowerment through our work while encountering this disrespectful, misogynistic degrading behaviour so close to home. No one and no organization is immune.

This is why, when we move from the individual examples — and we know there are many here on Parliament Hill — a respected minister of the Crown having to deal with the degrading label of “Climate Barbie,” accounts of members of Parliament and senators’ staffers subjected to harassment and intimidation with few feeling safe enough to report that harassment.

Then we move to the more general. This opportunity we have to review our principles and procedures is critical to ensure that we, the Senate, Canada’s upper chamber, has the strongest, most effective policies, procedures and mechanisms possible to respond to complaints of harassment of all kinds.

I am not an expert on the detailed procedures and mechanisms required to effectively implement the three pillars that were outlined in Bill C-65 — to prevent harassment in the first place, to respond to complaints when they are brought forward, and the most effective ways to support victims, survivors and employers. Our colleagues on the CIBA Subcommittee on Human Resources are grappling with these, with the input of experts and also hopefully with the input of those most affected, as suggested by Senator Lankin.

The area that I would like to speak to, at the general institutional end of the spectrum, concerns the overarching principles guiding our new, updated policy, procedures and mechanisms.

At this time in our world and our society, where the September 29 edition of The Economist magazine’s headline read, “Sex and power: #MeToo, one year later.”

At this time when women around the world are exclaiming #BalanceTonPorc, #MyDressMyChoice, #Cuentalo! and #HearMeToo!

At this time, in our Canadian society when our Prime Minister on April 26 of this year issued the following statement:

Women’s empowerment is a key driver of economic growth that works for everyone. All of us benefit when women can participate freely, fully, and equally in our economies and society, and supporting and empowering women and girls must be at the heart of decisions we make.

That is why we make gender equality and women’s empowerment a central theme of Canada’s G7 Presidency . . . .

At this time when the Guardian Weekly has run at least two articles this past year on our Westminster cousins, with the headline, “How to help tackle sexual harassment in the House of Commons,” and “MPs and peers could be recalled or expelled for harassment.”

At this time, as we look at what modernization of the Senate could be, at what a modernized Canadian Senate should be, we, as senators, all of us responsible for this largely self-regulating and very important institution, have a tremendous opportunity to be visionary, smart, accountable, caring leaders. We have an opportunity to become a trendsetter among parliamentary institutions; and, of course, we have a clear responsibility, too.

We have a chance to address those concerns raised by my colleagues and by others — concerns about the dangers of the power imbalance at the core of our institution and how that impacts those working with us and how it also impacts each of us.

In an earlier speech in this chamber, I referenced our colleague Senator Joyal, who reminds us:

Parliament is about power: it exists for one reason only — to empower the people of Canada . . . .

I also quoted my former colleague Dr. John Gaventa of IDS Sussex, who makes important distinctions regarding the concepts of power over, power to, power within and power with.

The culture change and the paradigm shift my colleagues have called for here in the Senate have at their core the issue of power. Working together to create a healthy, open, inclusive culture, characterized by professionalism, genuine mutual respect, and a code and mode of conduct which reflects that desired culture and which has at its foundation zero tolerance for harassment of any kind is of urgent and paramount importance.

For me, these characteristics of culture are the fundamentals. These are the principles, the central foundation to our policy, procedures and mechanisms.

Finally, honourable colleagues, in closing, I want to mention something that I have both appreciated and I admit to being a little uncomfortable with at times since joining you in this very privileged place, the Senate of Canada. The designation “honourable” is one I aspire to live up to. For me, it is something to be earned little by little each day. “Honourable” means “characterized by high principles”; it means “worthy of esteem.” It is a title of respect.

Honourable colleagues, let’s seize this opportunity to embody the designation bestowed on each of us, and let’s challenge ourselves to be leaders in creating the best, most respectful, safe and supportive working environment for everyone who contributes so importantly to the work of the Senate of Canada. The Canadian public expects it of us, and I know we expect it of each other.

Thank you. Wela’lioq.