Thank you, honourable senators. With leave of the house, I would like to just make a few comments at the end of this period of reflection and engagement.

My colleagues and I, the recent appointees, arrived here on April 12, and it seems perhaps a bit longer than that, at least to me, and perhaps even to you as you look on this side. But I want to take the occasion, before we rise for the summer, to say thank you to all Senate colleagues; to staff; Your Honour, to you; and to the staff that we have in our offices — although not as many as some — for the work that they have done.

This is not the time for me to engage in a process or a discussion of the changes that the Senate is undergoing. It's a time merely to pause as we reflect and renew ourselves in the weeks and months ahead before we come back with perhaps a renewed commitment to this institution, to the work that we have done, and frankly, to say thank you for the accomplishments of this last 11 weeks in terms of doing, from my perspective, the government's business, Canada's business, and acquitting this institution at the highest level of esteem and doing our role in the best way possible, with the tools that we have.

I look forward to further changes that reflect the objectives of this institution, but I do want to sincerely thank everyone here for the kindnesses shown when otherwise they will be forgotten over the course of the summer. And I will have one last word, if I could, to Senators Cowan and Carignan. Senator Cowan, as leader of the independent Liberals over this period, was a colleague and a useful adviser to me, and I regret that he is not here to hear personal thanks to him as this leadership will end with this day, as I understand it, or the next day perhaps.

To my colleague and friend Senator Carignan, I would like to say that I really appreciated the open and professional way that you accepted my role. Thank you for your support.