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

Honourable senators, we are saying goodbye these days to far too many excellent colleagues. Today, I rise to pay tribute to Senator Lorna Milne who retires from the Senate this weekend. Senator Milne has been a member of this chamber for over 14 years. She was summoned to the Senate on September 21, 1995, on the advice of Prime Minister Chrétien. She brought to this chamber a wealth of experience gained in the service of community organizations such as the Canadian Cancer Society; the Heart and Stroke Foundation; the Association for the Mentally Retarded; Rapport House, a hostel for youth with drug problems; the University of Guelph; the University Women's Club; and the YW/YMCA.

In her time here, she has served on many of our standing committees — the Energy Committee, Agriculture Committee, Foreign Affairs Committee, Social Affairs Committee, Transport Committee, Fisheries Committee, Finance Committee, and the list goes on. However, the two committees with which she has been most closely associated are the Rules Committee and, of course, the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee, both of which she chaired, steering their proceedings during a number of high-profile studies.

I think of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, which last month was highlighted in an international study, as an example to be emulated and of so many other important pieces of legislation that were studied and, at times, amended by the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee under her leadership. It is a record of which she can be proud.

In addition to her excellent committee work, Senator Milne took on a number of other causes, which she championed in the Senate and quietly behind the scenes. I will highlight two today. First, she waged and ultimately won a seven-year battle to preserve historic census records. Our history is so important to who we are and what we hope to become in the future. Senator Milne's contribution helped to ensure that Canadians today and long into the future can access those historical records.

The second cause I want to point to today was her determined work to legalize, and then support, the industrial hemp industry in this country. She spoke in this chamber only a few weeks ago about the challenges she faced and how far the industry has come since hemp growing was legalized. I know many farmers, researchers and others are grateful for what she accomplished.

Senator Milne has also been active with a number of important parliamentary associations. Most recently, she served as vice-president of the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association and led the parliamentary delegation at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg.

I cannot conclude these remarks without thanking her for her work as deputy chair of our own Senate Liberal caucus and as deputy chair of the national Liberal caucus.

Lorna, we will miss you very much. I know you will be happy having more time with Ross, your children and many grandchildren, but we will miss your steady, dogged determination in raising issues with the government, and I will miss you personally as a friend and colleague. Our best wishes go with you as you embark on the next stage of your life.

Please click here to read more tributes to the Honourable Lorna Milne

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