Statement made on 11 March 2010 by Senator Mobina Jaffer
Hon. Mobina S.B. Jaffer:
Honourable senators, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to salute two of our very hard-working and dedicated colleagues in the Senate.
Please join me today in recognizing Senator Losier-Cool's work as she leaves her role as Speaker pro tempore, and please join me in congratulating Senator Oliver on his appointment as Speaker pro tempore.
Some Hon. Senators: Hear, hear.
Honourable senators, I would like to pay tribute to our colleague, Senator Rose-Marie Losier-Cool. As Speaker pro tempore of the Senate, Senator Losier-Cool worked very hard. She was always very attentive to our needs. She was non-partisan and above all, she was fair.
Her dedication earned her the trust of her colleagues on both sides of the Senate Chamber.
Her work as Speaker pro tempore of the Senate and as a senator is rich with wisdom, intelligence and meticulousness. She continues working for the women of Canada and women everywhere, for that is one of the causes she champions.
In 2007, when Senator Losier-Cool also agreed to chair the Network of Women Parliamentarians of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie, she said:
My Network colleagues will be delighted to hear that I am still the Deputy Speaker of the Senate.
Senator Losier-Cool, let me simply say that you are an incredible source of inspiration for us. On behalf of my colleagues, I would like to tell you that we are so very proud of you. We are fortunate, because now you will have more time to dedicate to women, the French language and education, just as you always have done.
Since his appointment to the Senate in September 1990, Senator Oliver has served the province of Nova Scotia and all Canadians with distinction. Since 2001, I have come to know how important creating opportunity is to Senator Oliver.
Senator Oliver is concerned not only with affording diversity a place in society, he is also concerned with creating space for diversity in society. Senator Oliver's work on the issue of employment equity is a testament to this drive to create necessary space for diversity.
In 2006-07, when the annual report of the Public Service Commission revealed that Canada's public service was not a true reflection of our diversity, Senator Oliver challenged us in this chamber to think about whom our public service will hire a decade from now. When those testifying before the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance shared their concern that certain provisions of the Public Service Employment Act were not being used, he said "make-it-happen" policies are necessary.
Senator Oliver, we are proud of your work here and outside on diversity.