Hon. James S. Cowan (Leader of the Opposition):

Honourable senators, on behalf of the opposition, I join my friend the Leader of the Government in the Senate in welcoming our new colleagues.

For some time now, we on this side of the house have been pressing the Prime Minister to fulfil his duty, arguably his constitutional obligation, to fill vacancies as they occur. My colleagues Senators Banks and Moore have been particularly active and vocal.

We are glad that the Prime Minister has taken our advice. Perhaps this is a sign of things to come for us all.

My colleagues on the government side can speak for themselves, but I am sure they are delighted to have reinforcements sent to the front. This additional presence will make the functioning of this place, in committee and in the chamber, much easier for us all. We urge our newest colleagues to participate fully in the work of the Senate — both in the chamber and committee.

Do not believe everything you have heard or read about this place. See and judge for yourselves; I think you will be pleasantly surprised. My own experience, now coming up to four years, has been that most of our colleagues, be they government, opposition, or independent, work very hard and make great contributions to the Senate, to the public policy debate and to their communities. However, like any institution, the Senate can be improved. I encourage you to look for opportunities to make those improvements and to engage fully in the debate on democratic reform — not just with respect to the Senate but with respect to the other place as well.

All of us would wish that this institution be as effective as it can be. Term limits, election of senators, reallocation of seats, even abolition of the Senate, are legitimate subjects for debate. However, any such proposals must be considered carefully to avoid unintended consequences. We have all had experiences in organizations where changing one component without considering the impact of that change elsewhere has led to unintended, unforeseen and often unwelcome consequences for the organization as a whole.

Honourable senators, it seems perfectly sensible to me that after 140 years we would want to examine whether or not the system of governance designed by the Fathers of Confederation in the 1860s serves our interests in the 21st century. Let us not fall into the trap of changing one institution without examining the other related institutions at the same time.

Underlying all of this, of course, is the paramount responsibility to comply with the provisions of our Constitution. Major changes to the Senate, or to the House of Commons, for that matter, can only be made after consultation with the provinces — our partners in Confederation — and with the consent of at least seven provinces representing at least 50 per cent of the population. Some have argued that changes of a fundamental nature to this institution would actually require the unanimous consent of the provinces.

It is highly unlikely that our fellow citizens would want us to embark on another round of federal-provincial constitutional negotiations when the nation is in the midst of a major economic crisis. In my view, the time for that debate is not now. The Parliament of Canada and legislatures at both the federal and provincial levels ought to be focused on the economic challenges that face Canada and the world.

The time for political bickering and partisan posturing is over. The country needs its parliamentarians to work together to find solutions to the economic crisis.

Honourable senators, the Senate has often worked across party lines to produce tremendous results. On numerous occasions, Senators from both sides of this chamber have put aside partisan differences to come together in committee deliberations to provide the best possible solutions for Canadians. This chamber has often witnessed senators choosing the good of the country over the good of the party.

The Senate is, of course, a political institution, and most of us have political affiliations, but our first duty is to Canada and the Canadian people, especially in times like these. I urge our newest colleagues to continue the tradition of finding bipartisan solutions to national issues.

The expertise and professionalism of those who work in the Senate provide honourable senators with the resources and support we need to fulfil our mandate. As senators, we are well served by the officers of the Senate, the staff in the chamber and committees, and our own capable assistants and advisers. If we utilize all of these resources to maximum advantage, we will individually and collectively succeed in doing what this great institution is noted for: carefully scrutinizing legislation, making sound and reasonable public policy decisions and producing thoughtful and influential reports on the major issues of the day.

Once again, welcome to the Senate. I look forward to working with each of you in the coming session, and to the new ideas and fresh approaches that you bring to our assembly.

Recent Statements from Liberal Senators