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

Honourable senators, yesterday, while speaking at second reading of Bill S-7, I referred on several occasions to Prime Minister Stephen Harper as "Mr. Harper" and to his government as the "Harper government." This incensed both Senator Comeau and Senator LeBreton. The record shows that Senator Comeau shouted out "show him some respect," and Senator LeBreton joined in the commotion by referring several times to the Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition in the other place as "Iggy."

I believe that in referring to the Right Honourable Stephen Harper as "Mr. Harper" and to his government as the "Harper government," I was following longstanding Senate practice. I certainly have not and would not refer to Canada's Prime Minister by his surname alone or by any nickname.

This morning, I visited Senator Comeau in his office to assure him that I meant no disrespect and believed that I was in fact following Senate tradition in how I referred to the Prime Minister.

By way of precedent, in a major speech in the Senate on March 27, 2001, this is how Senator LeBreton described Liberal Prime Ministers, and I quote: "Mr. Pearson," "Mr. Trudeau," and "Mr. Chrétien." She spoke of "the Chrétien criteria" and of "a Chrétien minister." In that speech, when she was referring to a former Prime Minister, she said, "You are not Mr. Mulroney."

I was surprised that in the middle of a serious speech on the future of the Senate I would be heckled by the leadership opposite simply because I used terms that they traditionally have used themselves to describe the prime ministers of our country.

I have the highest respect for the Office of the Prime Minister, and my record in the Senate shows that I have always referred to that office and to that office-holder with respect while strongly disagreeing with the record, the policies, the actions or, in some cases, inactions of that government.

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